Angel of Mine
by tavia454
Summary: Is this Atemu Motou?" An offical voice asked. "...Yes." Atemu gripped the phone so hard his knuckles whitened. "We have identified a Yugi Motou...could you come and confirm?" "I'll be right there!" Mature situations. YxY A catti/tavi story.
1. Chapter 1

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

It hit him hard, and the ruby eyed teen knew it the instant he woke up with a scratchy throat and watery, sleep filled eyes. He just wasn't used to this weird, erratic weather. Even after 3000 years his body was still conditioned for the constant warm, dry Egyptian climate. But here in Japan it was almost winter and getting colder by the day. The tired teen sleepily rubbed at his eyes and stretched - feeling as though there was a two ton weight on his chest - trying to pull himself together enough to make it out of bed…

Atemu cursed mentally as he suddenly coughed up a gob of something that he would rather not have to explain to anyone. Racing to the bathroom as fast as his slender legs could carry him, he made it just in time to retch up what was left of his dinner from the night before, which was absolutely nothing. The effort left him shaken and unable to catch his breath.

"Yami, are you okay?" Yugi called sleepily from their bedroom across the hall.

Shit, he must have woken his little one with all the noise he was making. "I'm fine Aibou." Atemu called out hoarsely - after dry heaving for a third time. The force of the action sent him to his knees, tiny pinpricks of light hovering at the edge of his vision.

Yugi's sleep tousled head appeared in the doorway, giving Atemu the impression of a drowsy angel with the light from their room glowing over his head like a halo - as the taller teen looked up from where he was kneeling unsteadily on the floor of the darkened bathroom.

Of course, the once Pharaoh always thought his Aibou was an angel, from the tips of his wild tricolor hair to the bottom of his size seven feet. The boy was perfection with his petite height and slender build. But the look in his large amethyst eyes was nowhere near angelic, as the small teen glared harshly at his dark half.

"No you're not."

Yugi padded softly into the bathroom to crouch next to the ailing teen. Placing a gentle hand on his darkness's head, one touch was all it took for him to figure out what was bothering the other teen. "You're burning up! Come on, do you think you can make it back to your bed…never mind, I'll help you."

Not giving Atemu a chance to respond, the small teen slung his arm around his older look-alike's waist and escorted him back to his bed. Atemu gave a long suffering groan when his sore, tired body hit the bed, Yugi covering him up with his blankets. The petite, amethyst eyed duelist rolled his eyes at the other's behavior.

His dark half had a tendency to push himself to the point of exhaustion. And that was more than likely the biggest contributor to his being sick now - he just didn't know when to quit.

Technically it was the former Pharaoh's first winter as a physical entity in the twenty-first century. The final duel had been held a little over five months ago, Yugi being the victor - Atemu conceding defeat for the first time in his existence. It was a humbling experience for the former King of Games.

The former Pharaoh had been resigned to moving on to the afterlife. But a tearful plea from his Aibou, begging for him to stay, tore at his emotions too much for him to even consider leaving. He loved the boy too much to disappoint him. And even though his feelings for the petite teen that had rescued him from the shadows were a well-kept secret, Atemu couldn't help but hope that maybe, if he stuck around, Yugi would return them someday.

So together, the twin-esque game kings asked the gods for Atemu to return to live out his life with Yugi. And the permission was granted, much to both boys' delight.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna go get Grandpa. He'll know what to do." Yugi said softly, coming back from his bed with yet another blanket, which he added to the growing pile on top of his ailing darkness.

"I'll be fine little one; there is no need to fuss over me." Atemu protested feebly, attempting to lift himself from the cocoon that the boy had made around his freezing body.

The effort proved too much, as harsh coughing wracked his frame, allowing Yugi to easily push him back down against his pillow. But Atemu wasn't done yet, as he attempted to make it back out from under the blankets. After all, it was his turn to watch the shop. And the former Pharaoh took that duty very seriously. It was the only way he could even think of repaying Yugi and his grandfather for their hospitality.

His college courses didn't help to pay the bills, only adding to their financial state. But Solomon had long ago sworn that his family would go to college, and the old man had always considered Atemu part of their small, happy family. The former Pharaoh was bound and determined to live up to the man's expectations.

Yugi continued to fight with him until he was too worn out to resist.

"You'll stay right where you are. And I won't take no for an answer. If I find you've moved so much as an inch, I'll make you wish I never solved that puzzle." The small teen threatened, inclining his head towards the puzzle that was hanging on the bed post.

Atemu gave a weak shake of his head, sliding back under the covers to glance at the puzzle with a shaky smile. "If you say so Aibou…"

"I say so." The smaller teen's tone left no room for argument.

With one last glare at the sick teen, Yugi turned and bolted out the door and down the stairs, in search of his grandpa – and a bucket. The small teen knew how stubborn his darker half could be, and he didn't trust him to stay put for any extended length of time. He needed reinforcements, and quickly.

When the gods granted Atemu another life, they let the two of them keep the puzzle as a sort of memento from their adventures together. As far as either of them knew, its power was lost. But neither of them wanted to give it to a museum or private collector. It held too much sentimental value for them to part with it. So there it hung, on the end of Atemu's bed – as a reminder of who he truly was, and how much he owed this one small, angelic being.

Atemu mused hazily on his hidden feelings for the small, tricolor haired teen. To him, Yugi was everything. And he would do anything to keep the boy safe, and happy. It was just his luck that he would have to do it as a friend, rather than a lover, for Yugi had accepted a date with Anzu not long ago, and he couldn't help but think that there was something going on between the two teens.

Well, if he had to suffer silently, then so be it. The once Pharaoh wouldn't burden his Aibou with his feelings if he felt for another. It was enough for him to just be a part of the boy's life. Atemu groaned weakly, closing his eyes against another wave of nausea. This sickness was beginning to grate on his last nerve.

"So, I hear you're not feeling so hot." Solomon Motou poked his head inside the door.

Atemu sneezed a couple of times before another fit of coughing over took him, leaving the teen breathless and unable to answer the elder man.

"Bless you!" The old man made his way into the boys' room, brandishing a thermometer, which he promptly stuffed into Atemu's mouth. "That sounds pretty nasty! I figured this might happen. You push yourself too hard Atemu, don't give yourself time to rest."

He peered down at Atemu from over his reading glasses, touching the teen's forehead gently with a cool hand. Atemu bit back a moan at the soothing touch, the cool contrast almost pleasant against his raging fever. The thermometer beeped and Solomon pulled it out to check the reading.

"You're not moving out of this bed for the rest of the weekend young man. You've probably just got a touch of the flu. It's been going around lately. Just rest, its all you can do."

"But I have to…"

Solomon leveled a glare at the stubborn teen. "You don't have to do anything but rest. If I catch you out of that bed, I'll take away your gaming privileges."

Any thought of protest died on Atemu's lips after that threat. Playing games with his Aibou was the only time that they really got to spend together. It was the time when they talked, in between laying down a card, or moving a piece on the game board. It was how they kept in touch throughout their busy days. To lose that would be…well, it would be awful.

"I got some aspirin, a wet cloth and a bucket Grandpa." Yugi walked through the door carrying a small bucket with a little water at the bottom of it in one hand and a bottle of Advil in the other, the washcloth balanced carefully over the side of the bucket.

Solomon smiled at his grandson. "Well, I guess you got it all taken care of Yugi. I'll let you take care of him this weekend. I've got a shop to run. I'll check on you boys later. Okay?" The old man headed for the door as Yugi called out a quick okay

Turning back to his patient, the small teen set the bucket down on the floor beside the bed and helped the other to sit up so he could take the aspirin. "Why don't you go back to sleep for a while. I'm gonna read for a few," helping to settle the sick teen back under the blankets after he was finished.

Atemu nodded tiredly through his cocoon before he drifted quickly off into a dreamless sleep. His last thought before settling into unconsciousness was that maybe he could use some rest.

Gazing down at his secret love, Yugi brushed a lock of blonde hair from the sick teen's face, marveling at the soft texture. He finally had Yami all to himself for the weekend. This was a first. Usually their group would hang out, or the older teen would be working in the game shop, or doing his homework for his classes.

They very rarely hung out anymore, just the two of them. He hated for his darkness to be sick like this, but getting to spend the weekend together, just the two of them, was something Yugi was looking forward to.

Yugi wandered over to the bookcase in the corner of the room he shared with his darkness; selecting one of the well-worn books before pulling a chair up to sit beside the sick teen's bed. Once he was comfortable, he picked up the damp washcloth and placed it on Atemu's head, smiling at the small noise that the other teen made in his sleep, as he studied the sleep softened features.

His darkness always looked so young, so innocent when he slept. When he was awake, the royal teen was absolutely stunning with his intense ruby eyes, and his chiseled, angular face - his dark skin tone only serving to complement those beautiful, soul searching eyes. But when he was relaxed in sleep, with those long, black lashes laying softly against his skin, those were the times that Yugi loved watching him the most.

Yugi had been in love with his darkness since he first found out about him. But the smaller teen would never think of forcing his feelings on the other, knowing that his darkness didn't think of him as any more than a friend, someone to look after. It was the one reason Yugi had accepted the date with Anzu. To take his mind off those painful, unreturned feelings. But it was nice to dream about it.

The small teen shook his head with a whimsical smile, before turning to the book in his hands. James Patterson, his favorite author. Yugi loved how the characters were brought to life within the torn and tattered pages of the books his grandfather gave him. He settled in to his reading, stopping every once in a while to flip the washcloth that he had set on his darkness' head, briefly checking him over before going back to the book. The poor guy was out cold.

Atemu slept throughout the day, occasionally shifting and muttering in his sleep, Yugi never leaving his spot by the bed. At five o'clock Solomon came in to check on the boys, telling Yugi that he would watch over the sick teen – that he needed to eat dinner.

The smaller teen made himself walk away to get some food. He truly didn't want to leave his darkness' side, but he was getting hungry. After a quick bowl of his grandfather's home made chicken noodle soup, he dashed back upstairs with a mug of soup for his ailing darkness.

"Thank you Yugi. I was going to set a cup up here for him when he woke up. Now I don't have to. Did anyone ever tell you that you would make a good doctor? So many of them now lack the compassion that should come with working around people." Solomon grumbled, complimenting the boy's caring nature.

Yugi blushed scarlet, looking at his feet, not quite knowing what to say to the comment. His grandfather rarely ever complimented anyone. Thankfully the teen didn't have a chance to make a reply, as the old man quietly left the room to get some food for himself.

With a sigh of happiness, Yugi settled back into the chair and opened his book to the page he was reading before being called to dinner, unaware of the alert ruby eyes that were taking in his every move.

Atemu woke to the one sided conversation between Yugi and his grandfather. He smiled lightly at the comment, knowing it to be the truth. His little one was so caring that it sometimes got him into trouble, but the former spirit of the puzzle wouldn't change a thing.

It was just one of the many facets of the boy's personality that he cared strongly about. Yugi was such a complex person; Atemu doubted that he had seen every side to his young light. There were always more layers hidden beneath the bright, smiling face that he adored…

"Hey…you're awake. I brought some soup up with me, would you like some." Yugi's soft voice brought Atemu out of his thoughts.

"Thank you. That would be nice." Atemu responded with a slight smile.

Accepting the smaller teen's help, he made himself comfortable, sitting up against a mound of pillows to take the offered cup of warm soup. The first sip felt like heaven, warming his insides and chasing away the chill that was controlling his body. Thankfully he didn't feel as nauseous as he had this morning.

As soon as he was finished with his meal, Atemu gave his cup back to the boy who was watching over him. They talked for a couple of minutes about what they were going to do tomorrow, as it was Sunday and neither of them had any plans. It wasn't too long before Atemu began to feel drowsy, and a large yawn refused to remain buried behind his hand, another coughing attack following closely on its heels.

Against the taller teen's protests, Yugi pushed him back under the covers and gently placed the newly rinsed washcloth back over his head, telling him it was time to go back to sleep if they wanted to do anything in the morning. Finally Atemu gave into the boy's demands, but he had a price for his compliance.

"Only if you crawl in here with me and keep me company." He pouted sleepily.

Yugi could feel the heat rush to his face at the comment. Did his darkness not know what he was doing to him with his request? Probably not. Shrugging aside his feelings, the small teen climbed into bed, cuddling up close to his darker half as the other teen pulled him up against his body. He felt so warm and protected in the embrace, if only they were more than just friends.

Feeling comfortable with his secret love wrapped up in his arms, Atemu drifted off into a calm, peaceful sleep, his body not nearly as chilled as it was earlier.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The next morning made itself apparent to the two teens as lightning lit up the whole house, the thunder coming on its heels shaking the ground. Atemu groaned, squinting in the aftermath of such a bright light. He peered out of the cocoon of blankets that he and Yugi were cuddled under, taking in the fact that it was still quite dark outside. The pattering sound of sleet hit the windows with a quiet rhythm.

"What time is it?" Yugi stretched, stifling a yawn with his hand.

Atemu glanced over at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "It's seven in the morning Aibou. It's still early."

"Mm-hm." Yugi commented before rolling over and closing his eyes again, snuggling up against the other's warmth. He was used to the odd thunderstorm in the late fall. But as much as he loved it, his darker half was right, it was still early…

They both woke a couple of hours later to the unnatural brightness of a cloudy fall sky peeking in through a hole in the closed curtains. Yugi stretched, mumbling a good morning as Atemu climbed slowly out of bed. The taller teen didn't make it very far before landing on his rear on the floor, his body still weak from the episode yesterday.

"Ow." Atemu hissed as he rubbed the offended area. He felt vaguely disoriented and the weak feeling was starting to irritate him greatly. Never could he remember feeling as pathetic as he did at this moment. He could feel the oncoming headache pounding behind his eyes.

Yugi peered over the edge of the bed with a grin. "Well, you just don't know when to quit, do you? You're still sick, even if you don't feel it. But no…you just had to get up like you do every morning and rush right into life."

Atemu grinned up at him lazily, his mood improving vastly under the petite teen's bright smile. "Yeah, well you know me. I hate being inactive. It drives me crazy."

Climbing gracefully off the bed, Yugi extended his hand to the teen on the floor. "You're crazy anyways. Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

Rolling his eyes playfully, Atemu took the offered hand, using it to pull himself up off the floor, steadfastly ignoring the irritating dizziness. Together, the two of them made their way down the stairs in search of food. It didn't take long for Atemu's weakness to sneak up on him again. He barely made it down the stairs and he had to sit down, before he fell. It was just his luck that Solomon was downstairs, in the kitchen, making breakfast, and had heard all the commotion on the stairway.

In the end, Atemu was ordered back into bed for the rest of the day. Yugi trailed along behind him, laughing at the pout that had settled on his darkness' face when he was told to stay in bed. The smaller teen mused on the other's attitude with a quiet chuckle.

It was true, Atemu absolutely hated to be idle. Even when he was nothing more than a spiritual being, he had always been active. Yugi could attest to that, having been woken up many times to the mental sound of Atemu pacing back and forth in his soul room, wandering the endless corridors and stairways, searching for answers to questions about his mysterious past.

And now that the royal teen was a physical entity, the need to move was even worse. For the life of him, Yugi couldn't remember a time when Atemu wasn't in motion, unless he was sleeping - and even then the taller teen would wake up every morning hopelessly tangled in his covers. To Yugi it was amazing how one person could have that much pent up energy, yet look so calm, so totally regal while he constantly moved about.

After ensuring that Atemu made it to his bed, with a minor detour involving the bathroom and a couple of toothbrushes, Yugi made his way back downstairs to gather their breakfast. It hadn't taken but a few minutes, but by the time he made it back up to their room, the other teen was already fast asleep, lying on top of his covers.

Yugi grinned at the sight, before quietly setting the tray down on the nightstand to tuck his darkness back under his blankets. He smoothed a stray lock of hair out of Atemu's face, just wishing that he were the one that the exotic teen was in love with. The one that would make those gorgeous ruby eyes light up with devotion and adoration. But it was just not meant to be.

Without even realizing what he was doing, Yugi leaned in and brushed his lips against Atemu's softly before pulling away, licking his lips for the slightest taste. It wasn't enough. He moved back in, intending only on another quick kiss, never noticing the arms that tightened around him to pull him down on top of the supposedly sleeping teen.

Atemu felt something soft and light press up against his lips. He knew exactly who it was; having heard Yugi's near silent entrance earlier and the idea of it thrilled him right down to his toes. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around the culprit, pulling him down and into another, more passionate kiss. As soon as he heard the gasp of surprise, he reached out to taste the treasure that had fallen into his lap, molding his lips to Yugi's as his tongue reached out to draw Yugi's up against it.

This had to be a dream! Yami was kissing him back…wait! What? Yugi pulled quickly back out of the embrace, his face scarlet. Without even giving his darkness a chance to say boo, the small teen fled out of the room and down the steps. How could he? Yami was still sick!

"Aibou, wait!" Atemu attempted to follow his lighter half, only to end up on the floor for a second time that day, his legs entangled in the blankets. Kicking at the bunched up material, he struggled to his feet.

"I'll be back in a few Grandpa!" Yugi shouted as he snatched up his shoes and bolted out the door. There was no way he could face his darkness right now, not after what he had attempted to do. His behavior was inexcusable.

Atemu flew out of the bedroom and down the stairs in an effort to try and catch his little one before he could make it out the door. He tripped on the third step, rolling and landing halfway down the stairs, to slide to the bottom. He quickly realized that Yugi had already made it out the door before he had even reached the top of the stairs. So much for that bright idea.

"What the hell? Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?" Solomon came out from the living room to see what all the noise was. His stern gaze softened when he spied Atemu lying at the foot of the stairs, his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" The older man rushed to his adopted grandson's aid.

After being told, politely, that he was alright, Solomon helped the dark teen to stand, thinking that he would be able to coax him back up to bed. No such luck. The former spirit was nothing if not tenacious.

Finally, after arguing for a few minutes, Solomon gave in, allowing Atemu to wait in the living room for Yugi to return. It was a better idea than what Atemu had in mind. There was no way he was going to allow the teen out of the house in the condition that he was in. The idea was ludicrous.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Hey…isn't that…" The driver nudged his companion as their delivery van passed a small teen who was walking on the sidewalk, his head down. The boy glanced up once to check his surroundings before looking back down at his shoes, lost in thought.

The other man glanced behind them to get a better look at the person in question, catching sight of wide, tearful amethyst eyes before they were turned once again to the ground. "Holy hell, that's that little shit my girls idolize. Yugi whatever his name is. Damn, and here I thought he only looked small on TV! He's tiny."

"Yeah, but he sure is a looker! Did'jya see them eyes? I'm bettin' they'd go nuts over that." The first said with a smirk.

Can't man. Do you know what my girls would do to me if they found out? They'd have me drawn and quartered for even thinking it." The other shook his head.

"Tough shit! They should be idolizing you, not some punk kid with funky hair. And besides, it's not like they'd ever know. I'm not lettin' this one go. This'll be good payoff." The first man turned the wheel on the van, ducking around the corner, not even giving the other man a chance to protest his actions. This was just too good of a chance to pass up.

The two men continued to argue the situation as they sat in the van, waiting for their target to approach. Eventually, the driver managed to persuade his passenger to his way of thinking. As the boy drew closer, they slowly got out of the van and into position.

_Stupid! _Walking aimlessly through town, Yugi mentally kicked himself. He couldn't believe that he had actually kissed his darkness. What the hell had been going through his mind, to do something like that?

It wasn't like him to try and force his feelings on another, especially when they were unable to defend themselves. And at the moment, Yami was exactly that. He was sick! It was inexcusable! The other teen was not in his right mind!

The diminutive teen continued his walk around their neighborhood, berating himself repeatedly for his earlier actions. After an hour of trying to walk out his frustrations, trying to decide what to do, large drops of sleet began to fall from the sky, soaking his scant clothing, reminding him that it was cold out. What a time to forget his winter coat! It was time to go home and face up to what he had done earlier, no matter the consequences.

Would Yami hate him? The small teen just had to know, he couldn't stand the suspense any longer. As Yugi rounded the corner on his trip back to the game shop, he didn't even see the hands that reached out to him, a white cloth held firmly in their grip…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_Where is he?_ Atemu thought, starting to get agitated. Two hours had flown by since Yugi left the house. He wouldn't be gone this long. Not in this weather, it was beginning to storm yet again. The former Pharaoh put his feet over the side of the couch, intending on getting up.

"I thought I told you to stay put! Yugi will come back on his own Atemu. He's fine." Solomon spied the teen from the corner of his eyes as he attempted to make a break for it.

Atemu sighed loudly before resigning himself to waiting for his Aibou to come home from wherever it was he was hiding. And the taller teen was certain that the boy was hiding from what had happened earlier. Maybe he should have just pretended to be asleep. But he couldn't have done that, not even on a bet. Just to know that the small teen he was in love with had even the remotest of feelings for him, he couldn't just do nothing.

The wait seemed indefinite as a storm brewed outside, lightning flashing like it had earlier in the morning. This was so unlike Yugi. Atemu hoped his little one was safe, maybe at Jou's house, or even Ryou's. The dark teen began to fidget, holding back his coughing to the best of his ability.

"I'm gonna call Jou…see if Yugi's there."

Atemu's eyes lit up. Thank god, the old man had read his mind. Solomon walked out into the kitchen, to make his phone call, leaving Atemu by himself in the living room. The former Pharaoh wasted no time in standing up to stretch his weak, sore body. He took a couple of tentative steps to test his endurance, before making his way slowly into the kitchen, too concerned to remain idle.

"Yes Ryou…no, he hasn't come home yet. Thank you anyways." Solomon said politely as he returned the cordless phone to the base. "No one's seen him today. I called Jou first, he was still sleeping. Ryou just got home himself." The old man looked up worriedly at Atemu as he reached into the desk drawer to pull out the phone book.

By that time Atemu already had his boots on, and was making his way out the door. "I'm going to go find him."

Solomon humphed at him. "You're sick enough! I don't need you getting any worse, Yugi'll kill me!"

Atemu turned around to stare incredulously at the man.

"I don't care. At least he will be home." He snapped, continuing out the door and into the cold rain, forgetting his jacket in his haste.

Once outside, it finally occurred to Atemu that he had nowhere to look. It wasn't like he could just contact his Aibou through their mind link anymore, it didn't exist. The former Pharaoh wrapped his arms around himself and hurried through the pouring sleet as fast as his lethargic body could go, searching for any sign of his little one. The boy had to be here somewhere, it wasn't like he could just vanish off the face of the earth – could he?

An hour later and Atemu wasn't so certain about that thought. He had seen nothing that could point him in the boy's direction. Thinking that maybe Yugi had returned home, the dark teen headed in the direction of the game shop. He had looked over almost the entire neighborhood, and there was no sign of the bright, smiling person that he'd come to adore.

Two blocks from the game shop, Atemu happened to see a single shoe, looking innocent as it lay in a puddle by the side of the road. He picked up his pace, hoping against hope that that particular shoe didn't belong to who he thought it did. Once he made it to the shoe, the dark teen dropped to his knees, panting and out of breath. Cautiously, he reached out and picked up the unassuming object, another fit of coughing taking over his body.

A tear slipped down his face before he could stop it. He knew this shoe, every morning before they made their way to the bus stop; Yugi would slip this shoe on, grumbling about how tight it was. Atemu would laugh at him and tell him to untie his shoes before attempting to put them on. To which the small teen would pout, until he finally managed to wiggle his foot into the shoe and bolt out the door.

"AIBOU!"

Barely managing to catch his breath, Atemu stood up and ran down the street, heedless of his debilitating bouts of coughing as he searched frantically for the missing teen.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	2. Chapter 2

Day 1:

"Okay, here's what I need you to do. Ryou…you take the south side. I want these posters up everywhere. Take Bakura with you. Jou…you need to go down by the park, take the flyers, and hand them to everyone you see…" Solomon's hands shook as he handed out assignments, as well as the posters with Yugi's latest school picture on them, to all of the people that had volunteered to look for the missing teen.

Atemu was sitting on the couch in his pajamas, the wrist band from the hospital still attached around his arm, literally seething. He didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to go with the rest of the gang and search for his Aibou.

What did it matter that he had passed out on the sidewalk the day before? It wasn't his life at stake. The irritated teen gave a dark glare at the old man as Solomon continued to give out instructions to the group of friends, his foot twitching in irritation. This was his little one they were talking about! He should be out there searching as well. He wasn't an invalid!

Once word got out that Yugi was missing, and presumed kidnapped, the game shop was swamped with well-wishers and people volunteering to help search, many of them strangers – parents of other children. The cops had put out an alert as soon as Atemu was found; clutching tightly to the last piece of clothing that the boy had been seen wearing. A city wide search was under way at the moment.

But Atemu was not allowed to take part in it, doctor's orders - enforced by Solomon...

"Anzu, could you keep Atemu company? I'm going out too. I don't want him moving so much as a toe off that couch." Solomon leveled a dark glare at the defiant teen on the couch before heading out to look for his grandson, gaining a glare in return from the aggravated teen.

Hacking a couple of times, Atemu waited until the old man was down the drive before hoisting himself carefully up off the couch. His arms still hurt from where they had attempted to find a vein suitable for an IV the night before. He calmly walked upstairs to grab some clothes before heading out, to find that all of his clothes were missing. Running back down the stairs as fast as he could without stumbling, he found Anzu waiting in the living room, answering the question before he voiced it.

"He locked them up in the study if you must know."

Atemu grunted, before turning his back on the girl to get his boots on. Didn't the old man realize that that wasn't going to stop him from looking for his Aibou? So what if he was traipsing all over town in his pajamas? It didn't matter to him one bit if other people thought he was weird. The only thing that mattered was his Aibou…his little one.

"You just got back from the hospital! Do you want to make things worse?"

Atemu didn't comment, continuing to slip his foot into his other boot. Once he had them on, he stalked to the door.

Realizing that nothing she said was going to stop her friend from doing whatever it was that he planned on doing, Anzu huffed "Fine, it's on your head if you get even sicker than you already are…so don't even say I didn't warn you. But at least take a jacket this time!"

Atemu just grunted as he opened the door, pulling his jacket off the rack next to the door and shoving his arms through the sleeves.

"So where are we going anyways?"

At that comment, the dark teen turned around and gave an ill-tempered glare to the girl that he had, until recently, thought to have stolen his Aibou's heart. "I am going to find my Aibou."

The brunette calmly stared back at him. "Well then I guess I'm going with you. Mr. Motou said to keep you company – so wherever you go, I go. Get it."

"Fine. Then you best be able to keep up. I'll not wait for you." Atemu shrugged as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, looking both ways before deciding to head into the city. He hadn't had a chance to check there yesterday.

Just one clue - that was all he needed. If only the mind link was still working. But the gods had taken that away from them when they granted Atemu another life. It didn't matter, though. He would find his little one. He would. And when he did, there had better be nothing wrong with the boy, or someone would be paying with their very life!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

31 days:

"Merry Christmas..." Jou smiled halfheartedly. "We…uh, thought we'd stop by for a while."

"Come in, come in." Solomon quickly ushered the shivering group out of the cold and into the warm house, giving a tearful smile in response. The old man wasn't expecting company so early in the morning. It was still dark out and he was still in his pajamas. He had given up on sleep a couple of hours ago, preferring to read the paper as he sat in his favorite chair. Until the doorbell rang, that is.

As they shook off the snow that had fallen on their clothing, the group of friends looked around the Motou house. Something was missing, other than Yugi – who had still not been heard from. The house was unnaturally silent. And no one had bothered decorating, from what they could see.

"Where's Atemu?" Ryou finally figured out what was wrong with the picture as he carefully placed his presents to the family on the table in the hall.

It was very rare for the former spirit not to make an appearance when he stopped by, which he did almost daily. The dark teen was usually on his way out the door, or just returning from yet another failed search for his missing Aibou, the look on his face desolate. It tore at the small white haired teen's heart to see someone so inconsolable. Ryou just hoped that what he had planned wouldn't backfire.

"…Yeah, where is that miserable bastard?" Bakura questioned, craning his neck to look into the living room for his rival.

Ryou elbowed his darkness in the stomach, giving him a glare. Marik snickered under his breath, just barely escaping his light half's notice as Malik glared at the white haired darkness. Their denseness when it came to seeing past the diminutive Pharaoh's haughty, defensive shield was astounding.

The smaller white haired teen couldn't count how many times he had tried to tell them that it was not Atemu's fault they were trapped in their Millennium items. It was time they realized it for themselves.

"Now see here…" Solomon started, incensed.

"Be nice!" Anzu finished the thought that was on all their minds as Jou and Honda glared ice at the older white haired teen, debating whether or not to dump him back outside in the snow. "We came over here to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!"

Bakura threw up his hands. "Okay, okay…I'll keep my comments to myself. Sheesh!"

"Atemu's upstairs sleeping. He was out until early this morning, following up on a tip that was called in to the game shop, instead of the police. I'm worried about him right now. He's so sick, but he just won't slow down and take care of himself. I don't know what to do with him. If he doesn't quit soon…I don't want to lose him too!" Solomon put a frail hand over his face to hide the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes.

In the weeks since his grandson's disappearance, the elder Motou had really began to look his age, his face had sunken in, the skin on his hands sagging to cover his lost weight. He didn't want to lose the only other person in his life. But he was at a loss as to what to do to help the dark teen.

If he could bring Yugi back, he would in a second. But until they had a clue as to where to look for the boy, there was nothing he could do. To watch the former Pharaoh kill himself trying to find the boy was only making matters worse.

Ryou took the old man's frail arm and led him into the living room as he called out directions to the rest of the group. "That's why we're here. We'll take care of him. Why don't you rest for a few minutes Mr. Motou? Anzu, Honda – I need your help in the kitchen. Bakura…Marik, why don't you go and wake Atemu so he can help?"

Anzu and Honda called out an okay as they made their way towards the kitchen, trusting the white haired youth to know how to handle informing the old man of their plans. This was something the group had been planning for the last two weeks. A way to give back to the old man who had welcomed them into his small family, treating them with as much love and care as he would his only grandson.

The two trouble making dark halves nodded only once before making their way silently up the stairs with twin grins on their faces, wanting the element of surprise on their side when confronting their rival. Maybe they could have a bit of fun with him before anyone became the wiser!

"Help with what?" Solomon asked, confused.

"Christmas dinner of course. You guys are still family." Ryou bit his lip as the tears came to his eyes at the look of awe in the old man's faded amethyst eyes. "You didn't think we would just forget about you, did you?"

"I…I" Solomon was at a loss as to what to say to the offer. Grateful tears spilled down his face as Ryou led him to the couch and helped him to sit, piling the pillows behind his back.

The small teen patted his hand gently, nodding to Jou and Malik to sit in the chairs facing the couch. "Don't worry about Atemu. Hopefully, if what I have planned works, not only will he be okay, but the other two will finally see him as another person…not an enemy."

Malik had some misgivings about his soft hearted friend's well laid plan, as he settled into the comfortable chair, but he was willing to give it a shot. He and Jou sat down and engaged Yugi's grandfather in conversation as Ryou left them alone to help in the kitchen.

Their whole plan was to give the old man a sense of normalcy in this time of tragedy. And maybe knock some sense into the former spirit that the man thought of as another grandson…

"Man this is bullshit!" Marik hissed to his partner in crime as they walked towards the closed bedroom. "If those shit heads think we're all just gonna suddenly become friends then they've got another thing coming!"

"Just shut up and let me listen." Bakura held his ear to the door for a moment before grinning evilly. "If the little snot's asleep I say we give him a blanket party to help him start the day. Spoiled little brat, thinking he's gonna sleep in when the rest of us have to be up at the butt-crack of dawn!"

Marik grinned back, showing a row of even, white teeth. They could probably exact some payback from the little bastard before anyone even knew about it.

Ever so slowly, the white haired thief opened the door to Atemu's room. He glanced inside the room expecting to find the former Pharaoh curled up on the bed, huddled comfortably inside a mound of blankets - sleeping peacefully, regardless of his light's disappearance. But what he found was almost shocking to him.

Atemu was curled up on his knees on the floor by the window, his head resting in the crook of the arm that was lying on the cold sill. Fresh tears glistened in the glow of the moonlight that spilled in through the open curtains. Every once in a while his body would shake with the force of trying to suppress a coughing fit, only to end in a quiet sob.

But what was most disturbing to the white haired teen was the way that the other teen's normally tight clothes hung loosely off his gaunt frame. The paleness of the once caramel colored skin making him appear almost spirit-like.

This was not the arrogant, high handed Pharaoh that Bakura thought he knew. The boy-king who had everything he wanted at his beck and call, the one who he believed had callously ordered the death of an entire village with no thought of remorse.

The person who was lying before him was nothing but a shell of his former self. The white haired thief had always thought Atemu too self-centered to care about anyone else. Maybe he was wrong…

"Jesus Christ!" Marik hissed as he caught a glimpse of the broken teen. "What the fuck happened?"

"What the fuck do you think happened…dumb ass?" Bakura hissed back. "He lost his light. I didn't think it would matter. Fuckin' Ryou…he knew. He knew and he didn't warn me. Screw this."

The white haired thief stomped over to where Atemu was curled up by the window. He'd be damned if he would let this change how he thought of the younger teen. The noise he was making startled the former Pharaoh into waking, but not fast enough to prevent what took place next.

Hauling the tricolor haired teen up by his collar, Bakura took a hefty swing, knocking him back a couple of paces and almost landing him on the floor. But Atemu was able to keep his balance – just barely. He clenched his fists and glared white hot rage at the duo.

"Bakura!" He spat "…and Marik, figures."

This was just what he needed. Between the lingering sickness, and his worry over Yugi's whereabouts, Atemu had almost no energy left, but he would be damned if he would give his rivals something to gloat about by falling at their feet. He had long ago given up trying to figure out why they held a grudge against him in the first place. And he had not the time or the patience to deal with them now.

Turning his back on the two people in his room, Atemu set to gathering up the gear he would need for another day of searching. A bout of coughing almost brought him to his knees, but he refused to give in to it, knowing full well that it would give the two people in his room more reason to call him weak. He didn't need this, not on top of everything else that was going wrong.

Bakura was completely speechless when his rival refused to raise his fists, instead turning his back and ignoring him completely. He was expecting the other to fight back, like before.

The former thief had run up against the diminutive but powerful Pharaoh twice in their past life, both times when the royal teen had escaped his guards, each of them looking for an outlet for their aggression. And he had come out the loser both times in their physical battles. For Atemu to ignore him like that, especially after Bakura started it, there was something seriously wrong.

"Oh hell no! You are not just going to ignore me like that!" Bakura reached out to grab a hold of Atemu's shirt, intending to drag the other around to face him.

Atemu spun around swiftly, snatching Bakura's hand just shy of its target and squeezing painfully, letting the other know in no uncertain terms that he was not to be messed with.

"Leave. Me. Alone!" He hissed, his scarlet eyes flashing dangerously.

And then Atemu let go, heading for the door.

Marik stepped in front of the trapped teen and folded his arms across his chest, allowing Bakura time to restore feeling to his injured hand. "Where do you think you're going?"

Not in the mood for the exchange, Atemu silently turned on his heel and headed towards the window. It wasn't that he didn't have some pent up aggression that needed to be released; he just didn't have time for this nonsense. There were more important matters that needed tending to. Like finding his Aibou. And now that he was awake, that was exactly what he intended to do. He exhaled loudly when his way was, once again, blocked by Bakura.

"You're not leaving." The white haired teen stated plainly.

Atemu snorted. "The hell I'm not."

Taking a step around the thief, he started towards the window again. It would take more than those two trouble makers to stop him from leaving the house.

Bakura snatched him back by his arm, throwing him into the wall and pinning him against it. "I said you're not leaving."

Atemu struggled against the larger teen's hold, trying to shake him off. "Who died and made you god? Get. Off. Me!"

Atemu attempted to shrug the other off, Bakura barely managing to hold on. The two struggled against each other as Marik stood in the background, barely able to contain his mirth. It was apparent from the start who was the stronger. The former Pharaoh was not in the condition to fight; sickness and worry sapping what little strength he had. But the smaller teen still had some fight left in him and he used it.

"Let me go! I need to find…my Aibou!" Atemu's voice cracked under the strain, and tears flooded his eyes. He struggled weakly against Bakura's grasp, fighting for one last chance at freedom, his strength fading rapidly.

Sensing weakness, the white haired thief took the other to the ground, not letting go. He pulled the broken teen into his lap, restraining his arms by wrapping them around his chest. Atemu fought the hold, but it was apparent that he wasn't going anywhere. Bakura just held tight until the last of the smaller teen's strength left him.

"Damn it, you're supposed to be the smart one! What the hell? What's going to happen to Yugi if he comes home to see you the way you are?" He shook the smaller teen violently.

"H-he's not…he's not coming…home!" Atemu finally voiced his fears.

"Bullshit!" Marik roared.

As much disdain as the two former spirits held for Atemu, they both looked kindly on his smaller double. The small tricolor haired boy had fought long and hard for their return from the afterlife, telling the gods that everyone deserved a second chance. Yes, Atemu had added his assent to the boy's theory. But it was mostly Yugi who had fought on their behalf. And the two of them would always be grateful to him for what he had done.

Bakura turned Atemu's face to his, pulling his hair slightly when the other tried to turn away, to snap. "Don't you dare think that! The midget will be found. And he's gonna need your help! Do you hear me? So pull yourself together."

No sooner had he spoken those words aloud, and Atemu lost what was left of his legendary control, dissolving into a trembling, sobbing mess. The sight brought tears to the white haired thief's eyes. How could he hate someone so broken? Not when he remembered that awful feeling even now, after three millennia. And all this time he had thought Atemu to be cold and without emotion. Maybe it was time to admit he was wrong?

In a softer tone, as he held the devastated teen on his lap, Bakura said "Ryou's an ass…he knew this would happen."

"Khe, going soft? I didn't know you had it in you!" Marik chuckled.

The blonde was still unconvinced. How could he not be? After all, it was Atemu's fault that they were trapped in their Millennium items. The former Pharaoh was nothing more than a spoiled little brat who couldn't admit he'd done wrong.

"Shut it ass wipe! How do you think you would feel if you lost your light?"

That comment took the wind out of Marik's sails. Slumping to the floor next to his sometimes friend and the one he'd always thought of as his enemy, Marik grumbled "I would disembowel anyone who dared touch my light!"

"Exactly." Bakura responded quietly, holding Atemu's unconscious form. The former Pharaoh had used what little strength he had left trying to fight off Bakura, and it hadn't taken long after that for him to succumb to his exhaustion.

The teen in his lap weighed nearly nothing, a testament to all the strain and stress that he was going through. And, if Bakura really thought about it, he would probably be just as broken if someone took Ryou from him.

The white haired thief knew that to be the truth from the time when Ryou voluntarily took a vacation from him, and subsequently he went crazy trying to find the boy. He vowed to help his former nemesis in his quest for his missing partner. After all, the other would do the same for him, and had before, even though they always hated each other with a passion.

Suddenly there seemed to be something glaringly wrong with his theory of how they ended up trapped within their items and maybe even who had ordered the sacrifice of his village. It was very doubtful that whoever had trapped them in the first place would ever offer to help them out - even if it was in another lifetime.

"You don't think Ryou was telling the truth when he blamed Akunadin for the rituals, do you?" Bakura looked over at Marik with a horrified expression.

Thinking back to all the times that they had tortured the former Pharaoh thinking he was the guilty party, Marik looked back with wide eyes. "Gods I hope not…I don't know."

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Halfway through the morning, the doorbell rang again. This time Jou ran to answer it, not even giving Solomon the chance to pull himself off the couch.

"Motou residence…oh, it's you." Jou said flatly, sorely tempted to shut the door in the other teen's face.

"Just get out of my way," Seto Kaiba pushed his way past the blonde teen and into the house, Mokuba trailing at his heels. "Where's Mr. Motou?"

The tall blonde pointed towards the living room, mumbling under his breath. "Just gimme a reason asshole…"

Seto ignored the blonde, taking off his coat and boots as the small dark haired boy beside him practically bounced out of his extra layer of clothing and ran into the living room. The tall teen followed his brother into the room at a more sedate pace.

Mokuba stopped shy of the couch and took a good look at the tired old man leaning against the arm of the couch. "Mr…Mr. Motou…have you…?"

The small boy may have been left out of most of the conversations, but he was far from stupid. He knew there was something wrong. But no one would answer his questions. All he knew was that the first true friend that he had ever made was missing. And not even his big brother could do a thing about it. That much he had gathered from listening in on his brother's phone conversations.

"Come here Mokuba." Solomon patted that worn blue couch next to where he was sitting.

Hesitantly, the twelve year old crawled up onto the couch only to have the old man hoist him into his lap. "What have you heard about Yugi's disappearance?"

Tears filled the boy's grey eyes as he explained all that he understood. "Only…only that he's gone…and everyone's so worried…and no one wants to tell me anything…"

Solomon held the boy close as tears fell from his eyes. He glanced over at the boy's older brother for permission before gently grasping Mokuba's chin and lifting the boy's face to his.

"Yes, he's missing. And the reason that no one is telling you anything is that no one knows anything right now. I know it's hard to understand. But you need to be patient."

"But how…is he gone? He didn't just disappear, did he?" Mokuba hiccupped.

"No Mokuba. He didn't. Someone took him." Seto answered the question bitterly, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. "And I've hit a wall. No one seems to know anything. Even with the proper persuasion."

Solomon was about to reprimand the older teen for his use of…unusual techniques when two people entered the room, one holding an unconscious Atemu. "What the hell…?" He stood up suddenly, placing Mokuba on the seat beside him.

"We're taking him into the hospital. His breathing isn't right." Bakura commented remorsefully. "He needs to be seen."

The comment brought more tears to Mokuba's eyes as the boy clung to Solomon. "Shhh, its okay. Alright boys, please make sure he's okay. And then get back here safely."

With a dark look at Ryou, who had just walked in from the kitchen, Bakura, with Marik tagging along behind him, made his way out the door and into the snow.

Kaiba followed after the duo, offering the use of his limousine to escort them to the hospital. The offer was greatly appreciated, as the two former spirits settled into the warm leather seats, bracing themselves as the driver tore off down the road at an alarming pace.

Then the blue eyed teen found himself back in the living room with the others, standing off to the side of the room. If it hadn't been for his brother's persistence, he wouldn't even be here. He felt uncomfortable around the group of friends that apparently knew the Motous well enough to invade their house at an ungodly hour just to make dinner. He truly didn't belong here.

Well, at least the trip had been worth it. Mokuba got to spend the day with the group that he considered friends. And he…well he got the chance to see Jou. The blonde teen had been haunting his dreams ever since their last duel in the Battle City.

The boy's blatant refusal to give up - to give in - intrigued him. Seto saw a lot of himself in those determined brown eyes. And the more he looked at the blonde, the more he liked. It was just too bad that they would always be enemies. If only he could have been the one to find Yugi…

"You can sit down Kaiba. No one's gonna bite." Jou's sarcastic comment snapped Seto out of his memories.

"I'm fine where I am." The brunette replied, the comment causing the blonde to roll his eyes.

"Whatever. You just keep tellin' yourself that." Jou started to walk away.

Seto humphed, speaking quietly, almost to himself. "I can't find him…I have no idea where he is or who has him."

Hearing the whispered comment the blonde whirled around to face the other teen, his eyes narrowed. "And no one's gonna blame you for that! You're not the Amazing Kreskin! You don't know it all, and no one expects that here…so don't go blamin' yourself for not knowin'. None of us knows either, why should we expect you to?"

"But I should know! What good is all this money…all this power if I can't use it to do this one simple little task?" Seto shot back, angry at himself for even opening up his fear in front of the other.

"It's what we've been tryin' to tell ya all along. Money and power mean nothin'. You see that in there?" Jou pointed into the other room, where Mokuba was chatting excitedly with Solomon and Malik. They seemed to have forgotten their sorrows for the moment, in favor of talking about the newest game on the market. "That's what havin' family and friends is all about. Even your brother knows this. Until you get it through that thick head of yours, you're always going to be on the outside lookin' in. Think about it, would ya?"

Jou stalked away, joining the group over by the couch to add his comments. As he watched the group interact, the icy brunette began to think about what he had been told. All his life had been centered on being the richest, the most powerful. It had been drilled into his head from the time he was little. But if that wasn't what counted…then what did?

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	3. Chapter 3

Happy holidays all! I'm trying to stick to a weekly schedule but I'm afraid to say that my motherboard is going out in my comp. So if I disappear for a while that's what happened. Enjoy!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

167 Days:

"Now I want you to smile for the camera!" Solomon quipped as he snapped the picture of the crazily grinning group.

The old man waited patiently for Anzu and Honda to fix their graduation gowns before snapping yet another picture. For him, this day had been bittersweet. He got to watch the kids he'd known and loved forever graduate. But his grandson should have been a part of this. It shouldn't have been this way. Not at all. A tear escaped down his weathered face before he brought a hand up to wipe it away.

He would put on a smile and welcome these wonderful kids into adulthood all the same. They were his family as they had proven time and time again. Solomon mentally smacked himself for his depressing thoughts. He was going to be there for his adopted family today. It was their day.

Everyone had gone wild at the end of the ceremony, throwing their caps into the air with a loud cheer. The whole group had gathered together after retrieving their caps, deciding to spend the rest of the day with the ones that they cared most about rather than go on their senior trip after the ceremony.

So they stayed behind in the darkening auditorium for pictures after the ceremony. Someone had been kind enough to leave the stage lights on so they could at least get some last photos before heading out.

Serenity giggled happily, from the sidelines, at her brother's exasperated expression when Seto fixed his messed up tie. Anzu and Duke gave each other a fleeting kiss on the lips before greeting Mai and Mokuba who were waiting excitedly for Solomon to finish with the pictures before wishing the group congratulations.

The whole group was together for one final time before the real world took over their lives and they were going to make the most of it. Or, well, most of the group – as the nagging thoughts in the back of their mind reminded them throughout the evening.

Atemu sat in the darkened corner of the auditorium where the graduation ceremony had been held, silent tears slipping down his face as he reflected on how his Aibou would have loved to have been part of the gathering. He really wasn't in the mood for celebrating.

In fact, Solomon had to all but threaten the royal teen to get him to come out to the party. And even then he had yet to let anyone know he was here, staying just out of sight for the entire ceremony.

"Sooo, aren't you going to wish them well?" A not so welcome voice came from behind the former spirit.

"I do…and I can't." Atemu replied in a hoarse whisper, quickly scrubbing away his tears with the palm of his hand. "Not to their faces."

"Yeah, that would mean leaving your nice little corner, wouldn't it? And then they would see the expression on your face…"

"…and they would lose all the joy that should be a part of this occasion." Atemu finished bitterly. "Hello Bakura."

The white haired teen took a seat next to his once enemy, considering him a friend of sorts now that the truth had been sorted out. He noticed that the other teen looked a little better than the last time he saw him. At least he wasn't as thin as he had been, or as pale. But the haunted, pinched look still hadn't left those regal features. And it worried Bakura to no end.

"I can't imagine. And I don't want to. But this isn't helping. You can't watch life from the sidelines."

"But I can't exactly live either." The former Pharaoh refused to look at the person who had all but bullied him into not giving up on life. He couldn't decide if he hated him for it…or not.

The ruby eyed teen's recovery had taken well over two months. And it was still very easy for him to get winded. Even when he was only doing the smallest of tasks, like helping Solomon in the game shop. He still went out to look for Yugi, but with each slowly passing day the hope of finding his little one became less and less. He was so close to resigning himself to this foggy half-life that he had been living for the past five and a half months.

"Hey guys…Atemu, how ya doin?" Marik snuck up behind the duo.

"Fan-fuckin'-tastic!" came the sarcastic reply.

"Come on man, the least you could do is go and say hi. Anzu and Duke are leaving later in the week. You won't ruin their day, contrary to your opinion." Marik urged the smaller teen. "Even seeing me didn't send them into a fit."

Atemu folded his arms across his chest and snorted. "They deserve all the happiness that life has to offer them. They don't need me to remind them of what they have lost."

"So that's why you're sitting over here in the corner. They don't even realize you're here, do they?" Bakura asked.

"No. And I don't want them to." Atemu turned his attention back to the joyous group up on the stage…

"And that is how you tie a tie. You'd do well to remember it in the future." Seto commented as he finished carefully weaving the fabric at Jou's throat. "How do you expect to make it in the business world without knowing that one little detail?"

"I don't." Jou said quietly, glancing away from the intense look in the other's blue eyes.

A fist tightened around the tie as Seto gasped at the comment. "What do you mean _you don't_?" He used his grip on the material to bring Jou's awareness back around to him.

"Come on man…we all know I'm not smart enough to go to college. The test scores said it all!" The loud comment drew the others' attention to the pair.

After glancing around at the rest of the group until they averted their eyes, Seto hissed. "Only because you fell asleep halfway through the test. All that proves is that you don't get enough sleep! Not that you're stupid!"

"You really are somethin' else man." Jou glanced back at the blue eyed teen, incredulously. "I just said I was stupid. You don't need to argue with me just to start a fight! You won, I admitted it!"

"I'm not arguing for the sake of argument! You are NOTstupid, and I know it." Seto lowered his voice. "Wasn't it you who answered Ryou's question on the differences between schizophrenia and paranoid schizophrenia with delusions in Psychology class? You're a hell of a lot smarter than you think."

Jou just looked at the other teen, stunned. He didn't know what to say. Finally, shaking his head to clear his troubled thoughts, he said quietly. "You remember that? Hell, I barely remember that day…how is it you remember?"

The taller teen leaned in closer, his very breath skating across Jou's ear, to whisper. "I remember most of what you say. You can do anything you put your mind to…just keep that in mind, would you?"

Embarrassed, the blue eyed teen started to walk away, until Jou caught a hold of his arm. The blonde would be damned if he would let this opportunity slip away. It was the closest that he had ever been to his secret crush. And the other teen had all but admitted that he felt the same. Letting go of the breath that he hadn't known he had been holding, he drew the other teen back to him gently.

"Look…I, uh…that is…if you're not busy later. I was wondering if you wanted to do somethin'…with me." He stuttered, glancing in the direction of the rest of their group – who were all pretending to be interested in everything but the whispered discussion.

Looking resolutely at the ground, Seto replied. "I would like that very much."

The confident brunette had been caught off guard by the suggestion. It put him in a situation that he neither understood nor had ever been in previously. All he knew was that this gave him a chance to spend some time with the person that he was beginning to suspect he had strong feelings for, and he wasn't willing to pass that up. Not even for pride's sake.

The group posed for one final picture before heading for the exit, so they could get some food. Atemu gave one final glance around the darkened auditorium before walking out after them, leaving his two newest allies to either sit in the dark, or follow his lead. He didn't want anyone else to notice him.

It was bad enough that the gruesome twosome – as he had come to call them – had noticed his presence in the back row of seats. He'd never forgive himself if his presence ruined any of the new graduates day.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

245 Days:

"Bakura…could you and Ryou meet me at the hospital, in the ER. Please…" Atemu's shaky voice sounded over the phone.

"What the hell? What happened?" Bakura all but shouted into the receiver, causing Ryou to pause in the act of combing his damp hair.

Their friend sounded like he was in the middle of a nervous breakdown. While he was awaiting the answer the larger teen rummaged through the dresser drawers for a pair of clean pants. He had a feeling that there would be no quiet night at home for him and Ryou.

"…its Mr. Motou…he's had a heart attack. I…don't…I don't know…if he'll make it." Tears clogged the tricolor haired teen's voice.

For a moment the white haired thief was struck speechless. His jaw hanging on the ground, he glanced aimlessly around their bedroom for some memory of what it was he was searching for before that shocking announcement. Ryou, who had heard the comment clearly through the phone, smacked him in the arm, sending him into a flurry of movement. Clothes flew everywhere as he attempted to find something that would fit.

"…We're there. I'll call the others. Just hang on." Bakura swore furiously as he hung up the phone, stuffing his legs into the nearest pair of pants he could find – fortunately they were his. "Ryou…"

"I heard. You go try to find the keys; I'll make sure everyone knows."

The smaller white haired teen dialed Jou's number while his partner fairly flew out of the room, looking for the car keys that seemed to always mysteriously disappear whenever they were needed. Several phone calls later, and Bakura reappeared in the bedroom, keys clutched firmly in his grip, an insanely triumphant look in his chocolate eyes.

"Where…were they this time?" Ryou questioned hesitantly.

"On top of the refrigerator…don't quite know how they got there." Bakura grumbled, shaking his head.

The smaller white haired teen eyes watered. He shook his head once to rid the impending tears before ushering his boyfriend out the door. It was an endless source of amusement to their friends how the two of them always managed to lose their keys, making them late to every event that was held that summer. And Mr. Motou had been the last one to comment on it.

But now was no time for idle remembrances.

Bakura backed the car out of the garage and sped off down the road. It wouldn't take them long to get to the hospital, as they only lived ten miles away. Hopefully they could get there before Atemu lost it. The scarlet eyed teen had sounded really bad on the phone.

"Why didn't we know something was wrong…we just saw him at the last get together! He looked fine!" Ryou slammed a fist into the dashboard furiously. The Motous' had been through enough, why did things keep getting worse for them?

"Damn it Ryou, I don't know. He looked better…they both did." Bakura answered gruffly.

He threw the car into one of the open parking spaces near the front row just as a large black limo pulled to a screeching halt in front of the emergency entrance. The limo's driver wasn't even fast enough to make it around to the side of the car before the door swung open and Jou bounded out, followed by Seto and Mokuba. Seeing the white haired duo's approach, the blonde turned to greet them.

"Who else knows?"

"Everyone…I got a hold of everyone." Ryou explained as he caught up to the group entering the hospital. "Mr. Motou's room please." He said politely to the nurse lounging behind the desk.

A couple of clicks on the keyboard and they were told the elderly man had just gone into surgery, to wait in the fifth floor waiting room. It would be at least a couple of hours before they had any news. The group hadn't even stepped on the elevator and Malik and Marik caught up to them.

"What's going on?" Malik questioned, out of breath.

"Mr. Motou's in surgery. I don't know anything else. Atemu should have the answers." Seto answered him as the doors slid shut.

They waited impatiently for the elevator to make its way up to the fifth floor. It seemed to them like it took an eternity. By the time they got there, both Bakura and Marik were wishing that they still had shadow powers. So much for spending a ton of tax dollars on hospital renovations when the elevator could barely move above a slow crawl.

"Jesus! It would have been faster to climb the stairs!" Marik complained loudly as he backed out of the elevator, drawing the eyes of the nurses at the station down the hall. One of them shushed him, to which he hissed back "whatever"

Atemu poked his head out of a room around the corner, relief visible in his pinched, pale features as he fidgeted with his hands. "Thank the gods! Were you able to get a hold of everyone?"

The group bustled out of the hall and into the bleak, dim waiting room where three other people were sitting or pacing as they waited for news of their loved ones' fates. Bakura could tell that Atemu had reached the limit of what he could handle. His face was a ghostly white, his hands unsteady as he held them out to shepherd the group into the room. The tricolor haired teen looked like he was going to pass out at any given moment.

The white haired thief rested his hands on the smaller teen's stiff, trembling shoulders as he drew him away from the entryway. "Just breathe Atemu…we got a hold of everyone. They're on the way. Come on; let's get you into a chair before you faint."

Atemu glared regally at the other teen with as much affront as he could muster, before resigning himself to listening to Bakura's advice. He did feel quite like he was going to black out. How much more of this shit were they going to have to go through before things started looking better? Oh gods how he wanted his Aibou back. He hated depending on the others to get him through these hard times. It made him feel weak, useless.

The group made their way over to a corner of the quiet, depressing room, Bakura guiding Atemu's shaky form down into one of the plastic chairs. Jou and Malik slid a table over, scooting more chairs around it so they could all get comfortable – well as best as they could anyways. Seto flipped out his cell phone, attempting to have some food catered in.

Since Solomon had just gone in for surgery twenty minutes ago, and none of them had eaten since lunch, it was a good idea to get some food coming – even if it was just for decoration. Maybe the smell alone would encourage some of them to eat. Especially Atemu, who looked at this moment as if he were on the verge of collapsing.

"Come on Atemu…he'll get through it. Things will start looking up. You'll see." Ryou reached out to take hold of the other teen's cold, shaking hand.

With moisture gathering in his eyes, Atemu managed a choked whisper as he slid bonelessly back against the chair, unsure of what to do with himself. "I hope so…I can't…I can't do this anymore…"

A lone tear slipped down the side of his face before he furiously dashed it away. First Yugi, now this. Maybe he shouldn't have stayed. Maybe it was the gods' way of letting him know that it wasn't right for him to remain among the living. Had he cursed his Aibou, his Aibou's family by sticking around, when by all rights, he should have been long dead? What if this was his fault. What if he…

"Stop right there!" Bakura commanded, sticking his face right in Atemu's. "I can see it in your eyes. This is not your fault. Don't you understand that?"

All eyes turned to the two former spirits at the former white haired thief's words, holding their breath as they waited for Atemu's reaction. Even though the three newly reincarnated spirits had declared a truce and somewhat of a friendship had developed, the former Pharaoh still valued his personal space. And it wasn't uncommon for him and one of the other two to get into it when they violated that space.

Ruby eyes hardened as Atemu hissed. "How do you know that? You weren't there when Yugi and I were told that coming back would alter the future! The two of you didn't even stick around for the final warning that the gods gave."

"If I remember correctly, we were told - by you no less – that the two of you would take care of all of the intricacies of our return." The white haired teen drawled with a glare. "The Millennium items are powerless, we're completely mortal now. What else could they possibly have needed to warn us about? "

"I don't know…the last thing they said was that _it has been locked in place_. I thought they were talking about our future…I don't know. And that's beside the point! The point is that our being here has altered their future, starting from the time we walked through that door!" Atemu shot back, helpless tears filling his eyes.

Bakura sat back in the chair behind him rubbing his face harshly with his hands, confused. "What the hell does that mean? It's locked…?"

Atemu dropped his head into his hands. He had no want to try and figure out what the gods were trying to impart with that little, cryptic bit of information. He had tried to figure it out before, and never came up with a suitable answer.

"I don't know…they said we would know when the time was right." He mumbled, tears sliding down his face to fall to the carpet below.

"Has anyone heard anything? How's Mr. Motou?" Anzu said quietly from the doorway. Taking a quick glance around the room, she noticed Bakura and Atemu's aggravated condition. "What'd we miss?"

"No, we haven't heard anything yet…he just went into surgery about an hour ago…" Jou replied.

"…As for these two hot heads, well you know them." Malik finished with a shrug.

Anzu, followed by Duke, along with Serenity and Honda, whom they had picked up on their way in to town, made their way cautiously into the room, unsure if they were walking into a war zone or just another part of the hospital. After pulling up a couple more cheap plastic chairs, the group sat down to endure their long, agonizing wait…

Several hours later, and the magnificent display of food lay on the table untouched except for the very edges. Ryou had curled up next to his dark half and long since fell asleep, unable to keep his eyes open this late into the night. Jou and Seto were talking quietly amongst themselves, while Marik, Malik, Duke, and Honda played a silent hand of cards with Anzu and Serenity looking on. Atemu sat in his chair, his knees pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, watching the others as they waited.

"Will he live…?" Mokuba quietly asked the distressed teen.

"Mokuba…" Atemu sighed softly. "I do not know…they have been in there for a while."

"I don't want him to die." Tears shimmered in the boy's luminous grey eyes.

Closing his eyes briefly, the tricolor haired teen got out of his chair and sat down next to Mokuba on the small couch, gaining Seto's complete and undivided attention with the action. Wrapping a comforting arm around the youth, Atemu held him close as he cried. It was a shame that the boy would know such pain this early in his life.

If it were up to him, he would shield the child as much as he could from this type of mental agony. But it wasn't his place, and he was sure that the overture wouldn't be accepted. Maybe it was better that the boy learned life was harsh, and disappointing, and that it was hard to hold your head up day after day with all the problems that rained down on your shoulders.

"Family of Mr. Motou?" An imposing, white coated man stepped into the room.

Atemu lifted his head, praying for a miracle. "That would be us."

The tall man walked sedately over to the group and sat down in one of the chairs. "We were able to repair the damage done to his heart…but I'm afraid he's had a massive stroke. He's in critical condition at the moment. We've done all we can do…the rest is in God's hands right now."

The group was stunned. They turned to each other with silent tears sliding down their cheeks, as if to affirm that they were not the only ones to hear the devastating news. Mokuba's choked sobs were heard around the silent room, and Seto got up to see to his little brother.

"Oh god!" Anzu sobbed loudly into her boyfriend's chest, unable to keep her tears from falling.

"Screw your god! He'll live! I'll guarantee it!" Atemu slid out of his chair and faced the doctor furiously.

"He may live, but recovery is going to be long and hard, young man. I hope he has a lot of help and support." The doctor said in parting. "A nurse will be in soon to inform you of everything that you need to know."

The moment the doctor left the room, Atemu's lithe frame began to tremble violently. He clenched his fists as he raised his gaze to the ceiling. Cursing every god that had ever thought to fuck with his life. He stood there for a few minutes before he collapsed to the ground in a heap, causing the others to jump up and come to his aid.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Review please?


	4. Chapter 4

Happy New Year! And here's a new chapter for you – just keep in mind this particular story will be edited on fanfiction.

A/N (PLEASE READ): The original AoM can be found on AFF under tavi (my author name). This is a rather violent story and I found myself entering the minds of people that I'd prefer to stay well away from (or kill – you pick), so it will be missing entire scenes at some points. So for those of you who don't like revenge fics and prefer not to know about things that go on in this nasty world of ours please stay away from this one even in its edited form. Yugi's scenes in The House were drawn from a confrontation with a hooker when I was a teenager, so a part of her story is embedded in this one. And the violence spawns from my dreams of what I'd like to do to the people who killed my father. There you have it: AoM in a nutshell.

I'll say it one last time: This is heavily edited, but still contains violent scenes. If you do not like these types of stories please do not read it. Past that point I'm not responsible for burning out your eyeballs.

For the rest of you: enjoy!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

437 Days:

_The moment the doctor left the room, Atemu's lithe frame began to tremble violently. He clenched his fists as he raised his gaze to the ceiling. Cursing every god that had ever thought to fuck with his life. He stood there for a few minutes before he collapsed to the ground in a heap, causing the others to jump up and come to his aid_.

His head slid heavily out of his hand, hitting the glass display case and pulling him quickly and painfully from the disturbing memory. Atemu sighed as he glanced up at the clock above the doorway. An hour and a half left before Jou could relieve him. Just great.

Deciding that his time would be better spent trying to straighten the merchandise than sitting behind the counter brooding; the former spirit walked around the glass counter and began to rearrange a display of Pokemon figurines, gingerly rubbing the newly forming bruise on the side of his head. But that awful night wouldn't leave his mind no matter how much busy work he did.

Atemu couldn't believe that he was still stuck on that horrid memory. It was quite possibly the lowest point in his entire life. He honestly thought that he had lost it all that night. He had lost his Aibou so thoroughly, and that night he thought he had lost his last remaining link to his little one – the boy's grandfather. He remembered the agony, the utter despair that came with that thought…

And then he remembered the small ray of hope that had come in the form of a short, rotund elderly nurse by the name of Lieren. The thought brought a bitter half smile to his stoic features.

Lieren, the woman who managed to nurse, bully, aggravate - whatever you wanted to call it - Solomon back into the land of the living. The lady had to have been sent from the heavens, for she was an absolute angel. She was like a whirlwind as she took on the whole group in general as her charges, often interrupting arguments and adding her own comments, as well as talking the old man through his comatose state.

Atemu was of the firm mind that if it weren't for her, Yugi's grandfather would not have made it out of that bed alive. She could be heard at any time throughout the elderly man's two week long coma talking to him - even coaxing him or scolding him when he didn't respond. Now, less than a year later, and the old man was firmly back on his feet, although he did walk with a pronounced limp. And the two were dating, or rather acting like a couple of teenagers in love.

It brought tears to Atemu's eyes how they would look at each other, reminding him constantly of his own loss. And the others who came around would comment on how much younger the couple looked when they were together.

After Solomon made it out of the hospital, he came home to find that between Jou, Atemu and Ryou, they had made out a rotation schedule as to who would cover the game shop. Even after the older man was considered fully recovered, the teens wouldn't let him step foot into the store, telling him to go out and enjoy himself. That after what he had been through he deserved a break.

Eventually he caved in to their demands, allowing them to take over for him in his retirement. Currently, the elder couple was in the middle of a two year tour around the world, leaving the teens to watch over the house and the shop.

And currently, it was Atemu's turn for a four hour shift. Not that he was complaining or anything, but there really wasn't much to do. Business wasn't all that great, with the economy the way it was. Thank the gods they didn't really need the income anymore.

Life had become gotten so much easier for the lot of them when the former Pharaoh finally gave in to Isis' repeated request that he take the wealth from his previous life and put it to good use in this one. That had happened nine months ago when the Motou's were in grave danger of losing their home.

The eldest Ishtar had finally cornered him, citing that it was the only way to keep Yugi's childhood home in their possession. It was the final straw. For Yugi's family to lose the house his little one had grown up in was not an option. How would the boy find his way home if they no longer lived there?

Atemu allowed his former tomb keepers to _find_ his tomb (with himself and Bakura listed as the sponsors), making that the most celebrated site in Egypt, far surpassing even King Tut.

Not long after the _discovery_, they all began receiving kick-backs from the museums that they had graciously donated the treasure trove to. It was enough wealth that none of them, including Bakura, Ryou and the Ishtars would ever have to go wanting again. But still not enough to find his missing Aibou. The boy had vanished without a trace.

Where was he?

The former Pharaoh continued to straighten various displays as he brooded. He almost missed the ringing of the phone from inside the living quarters of the two story home. Rushing back around the counter, Atemu wondered who would be calling at this time of day. Solomon was out of the country, Jou wasn't due in for another hour, and knew the number to the shop…

"Hello?" Atemu answered the phone, totally out of breath from racing into the house to catch it before the answering machine picked up.

He listened closely to the person on the other end, his face losing all color. His grip on the receiver tightened until his knuckles were white. "I'll be right there."

Hastily slamming the phone down on its base, he raced out of the room and through the game shop – forgetting to lock the door in his haste, praying that this was not a prank; that the gods were not playing with his life once again.

Please…let it be true…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu impatiently waited for the slow elevator to make it up to the fifth floor, memories of his last time spent in this place making him twitch in agitation. When the doors opened he raced out of the elevator and down the hall, blowing past the nurses' station to finally realize that he had no earthly idea where he was headed – or what he would find when he got there.

Backtracking, he made his way to the desk to ask. "I'm looking for…Dr. Brisby?"

"She'll be right back; she's attending a patient at the moment." One of the nurses said without looking up from her charts.

Atemu clenched his fists, ruby eyes narrowed in frustration. Screw this, this was way too important to stand around and wait. He backed away from the desk, intending on searching every single room if need be. He passed the first two, which held only a couple of elderly women chatting outside the doors while they sat in their wheelchairs.

The third room held a grouchy elderly man by the unlikely name of Thomas Thomanovich, as he found to his chagrin. But the fourth room was relegated to a John Doe. He backtracked, staring at the card taped next to the door. John Doe…wasn't that what they called people when they were unidentified.

Cautiously, he cracked open the door. And then he paused, unable to breathe. He couldn't do it. What if this was all a joke? What if the fates were laughing at him once again? Could he really go through this forever? There were so many times that he had thought this was it, only to find that it was another false trail, another phony lead.

Viciously shaking his head to get a grip on his traitorous thoughts, Atemu steeled himself for yet another disappointment. At least he would be the only one to go through this false hope. No one else even needed to know.

He pushed the heavy door open all the way and glanced at the motionless form on the bed. And his heart dropped into his feet. There was his Aibou…maybe. The figure lying face down in the bed had his blonde bangs, and the barest hint of ruby highlights at the end of what appeared to be freshly washed and braided hair at least a foot in length.

Bandages wrapped around the tiny figure's torso and shoulders, making his form nearly unidentifiable. There were so many bandages and stitches, so much bruising and swelling and blood, tubes running from the figure's mouth, his nose, his hands…what the hell had happened?

Taking a couple of tentative steps forward, Atemu whispered softly "Aibou…"

The figure in the bed didn't even flinch. The machinery he was hooked to continued to beep quietly, the lines on the computer screen moving along with his forced breathing. The former spirit held out a trembling hand, wanting to touch the small figure, to hold him close – he was positive that his search had come to an end. Tears of confusion leaked from his eyes, trailing down the sides of his face. His Aibou had been found…but what…?

"His prints match those of Yugi Motou. That is who you are here to see, right?" A quiet feminine voice in the doorway caused Atemu to spin around and glare at the intruder.

Ruby eyes softened when they caught a glimpse of the small spectacled woman, her oversized lab coat almost brushing the floor. This was the woman who had called him earlier; he recognized the light, airy voice from their conversation. The former Pharaoh nodded gravely.

"It's really him…I've searched all this time." Emotion clogged Atemu's voice as he turned back to the motionless figure on the bed. "My gods, he's…what happened?"

"He was brought in this morning, but taken immediately into surgery." She stated. "It's too soon for me to list all his injuries. I don't have a full accounting. But it's pretty apparent that he was tortured…I want to go over his test results then I'll give you the information as I get it. I'm Alex by the way."

Alex held her hand out for Atemu to take. The dark teen took a hold of her hand and brought it to his lips briefly as politeness dictated, causing the tiny lady to blush, adjusting her glasses with her free hand.

"Please tell me that you will take care of him…he means the world to me." Atemu stated quietly as he let go of the doctor's hand, afraid to talk any louder for fear of this turning into another dream, of the tiny figure in the bed disappearing in a wisp of smoke.

"I will. He's got the best doctors possible. We'll help him to the best of our abilities. But for now, it's best that he remains in this comatose state. His body has a lot to heal." She replied, walking over to Yugi to gently stroke his hair. "I called you the moment we were able to identify him. If you would like to pull up a chair, I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I do, Mr…"

"Atemu…please, just Atemu. And thank you." He bowed slightly before carefully sliding one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs over beside the bed.

The instant the lady left the room; he entwined his hand with the cold, bruised hand of his beloved, leaning in to whisper. "I love you Aibou…please…come back to me…"

Brushing back one of the strands of golden hair, Atemu froze, taking a really good look at his Aibou. Gods, the boy was battered. There was no part of his face without marks of beatings. Atemu's tearstained eyes trailed down the visible skin littered with bruises and bite marks. Shifting angrily in his seat, he reached out to pull the light blanket up over the boy's bandaged shoulders. Who in their right mind could do this? And why? Where had he been all this time?

Tears of joy and frustration, anger and happiness slipped from scarlet eyes as he carefully observed the monitor's movements, along with various other machines, noting some small, unexpected inconsistencies.

Watching vigilantly as the machines went through another one of their phases, Atemu realized that the bruised and battered figure's heart rate was rather high and that every once in a while the tiny hand that he held quivered lightly, tensing and un-tensing around his own. What was going on?

Please don't let him die.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_Where was he? What happened? Yugi gingerly moved his head to the side, but the darkness followed him. His hands were immobile, as well as his legs. But he could feel himself moving. Was he in a car? His breathing sped up as he realized that whatever he was in, it was moving at a rather fast pace. He tried to work his hands out of the tape that was wound around his wrists, but it wouldn't budge._

_The hard edge of something was digging into his back, but he had no idea what it was. Shifting uncomfortably, the small teen found that he had very little room to move. Where was he? Where were they taking him? And who were they? The questions chased each other around his head as Yugi attempted once again to release his hands. He was practically rubbing his skin off with the effort and still no progress._

_Suddenly, whatever he was riding in slammed to a halt, almost unseating him. Heart racing, Yugi frantically fought against his bonds, knowing this would be his last chance before whoever it was that had taken him away would come for him._

"_He's awake! Shit, I thought you said he would be out until we got him settled!" A deep voice accused._

"_Damn man, I didn't know. He should have been out for another couple of hours. How the hell was I supposed to know?" Another voice whined back._

_Yugi kicked out against the hands that tried to lift him out of his spot inside the vehicle. A sharp intake of breath as well as the pain in his foot told him that he made contact. He kicked out again, thrashing around to keep them from being able to get a grip on him._

"_Damn it!" One of the men barked while trying to hold him down. "Go get me that stuff! We can't take him out in the open like this!"_

_Rapidly retreating footsteps met his ears while he fought valiantly to keep the remaining person from being able to get a decent grip on him. And then the footsteps returned, another set of hands joining the fray. The two men managed to pull up his sleeve, exposing his arm. A sharp pain pierced the inside of his arm and he cried out mentally._

'_YAAAMIIIII!'_

_Then a sense of surreal-ness fogged over his mind, making it all but impossible to think coherently. Sooo, this was what drugs were all about. He could feel himself being lifted from the vehicle, as well as hear what was said. But nothing made sense to him. The voices came at him as if from underwater, the roaring in his ears twisting words and sounds. He felt dizzy, as if he could throw up. But there was also a pleasant, numb tingling to his extremities that he had never felt before. Wasn't he supposed to be fighting? He couldn't remember._

_All too soon he was dumped on the floor of a dark room, his blindfold and bindings ripped away with what should have been a painful jerk. But he found that, in his state, he couldn't dredge up the will to care. He tried to stand, only to find that his legs wouldn't obey the command. Frustrated, he started slapping at the useless appendages, trying to force some sort of movement. At his actions, the small teen heard what almost sounded to be a low, vicious laugh._

_He looked up groggily, swaying slightly as he tried to trace the sound, but he couldn't find where it had come from. The room was dark, and each one of the shadows seemed to take on a movement of their own. Where was he, what had they given him? If only he could think…_

"_He'll make a fine addition. Do you know if he's a virgin?" The tall, elegantly dressed man behind the large desk asked as he sat up to watch the drugged boy attempt to get his bearings._

_He could see the true, flawless beauty etched into every soft line of the small teen's cherubic face. And when the boy turned to look at him with those large, expressive amethyst eyes he could practically see the dollar signs floating above his head._

_If the boy lived through the month before their next auction, he would definitely fetch a high price. But first he needed to know if their prize was untouched or not. He was almost hoping that their newest acquisition was already soiled…almost_

"_I got him boss." The driver of the van smirked as he approached the helpless teen._

_Yugi looked on fearfully as the strange man approached him. The kidnapper didn't get within two feet of the drugged teen before chaos ensued. The boy resisted his every effort to pin him down, using what little control he had over his limbs to lash out violently. Eventually the other kidnapper joined the fray._

_But it still took both men – together - nearly ten minutes to subdue the wild teen, and even then they nearly had to lie on top of him to keep him from slipping out of their hold. One of them finally managed to strip the teen of his pants, tearing them in his haste._

"_Ah…Nonononono!" Yugi cried as his clothing was torn roughly from his body. 'Yami…please! Help me!'_

_Yugi was flipped onto his stomach and pinned roughly to the floor, his hands held high above his head in a crushing grip. He couldn't get away. Suddenly his legs were pried apart and there was an intense, burning pressure coming from down below._

_He screamed, tears rolling, unchecked, down his face as the men holding him down continued to poke and prod him. One of them said something out loud but he couldn't hear it, his mind was consumed with the burning pain. With a final heart wrenching scream, his mind fled for the safety of darkness._

"_I said to check him…not ruin him! Enough!" The man behind the desk slammed his hands down as he stood to an impressive height. "I cannot auction his virginity off if the two of you take it! Now leave!"_

_The two men quickly pulled themselves away from the unconscious teen and headed for the door, rubbing at their wounds. Now was not the time to ask for their pay. But really, the little bastard deserved their roughness, fighting them like that. Try explaining that to the boss though. That was the hard part._

_Once the men had left, the owner of the establishment moved out from behind the concealing desk. He wandered over to the boy splayed out on the floor. Bending down, he rolled the boy over and flipped a lock of hair out of his face carelessly before running his hands down the lithe, slim figure of his newest prize. Checking briefly to ensure that his minions hadn't done any real damage. Oh this one was definitely a virgin. He would bleed quite nicely his first time._

_His men had done very well this time. This boy would fetch a high price indeed for a piece of that sexy little ass. Standing back up, he made his way back over to the desk, reaching for the phone._

"_Mart? I need to see our good doctor…yes, we have a new one. And I want to keep him feeling no pain until he adjusts…Yeah, he's a feisty one and a virgin at that…right, he screams nice and loud…Oh, I know I'm going to be seeing him quite frequently …Yes, but give me a moment first."_

_He hung up the phone and gazed back at the unmoving form on the floor with a leering grin. The boy would adjust. They all did after a while. And it wasn't like he, as an owner, would stand for the mistreatment of something so beautiful. The boy would be well cared for, as long as he behaved himself._

_Providing he could keep his brother away from him._

_But even if the boy was naughty on occasion, there were ways of teaching him how to be a good whore without marring the flawless, pale skin. There were all sorts of humiliation techniques, like loss of sleep, drugs, beating the soles of their feet, the use of toys, spankings. Punishments that wouldn't really hurt them._

_And if it came down to it, no one would notice a couple of lash marks, the boy would be on his back most of the time anyways, taking it up the ass like the whore that he was meant to be. Oh yes, this would be great fun indeed._

_The man almost started drooling as he fantasized the regime of punishments that he would put this little beauty through to train him for his new life. He hadn't had a feisty whore in such a long time. Most of the boys and girls that were carried through these doors were entirely too young to put up much fight. But this one was different. Much different._

_This boy fought like a man, with the sinfully beautiful looks of a child. Even being drugged didn't take away the boy's fierce will. Once the auction was over he couldn't wait to have his turn with the sexy little man-child that was in his possession. He would teach him to be good. Maybe even start his training before the auction. If he could keep his hands off of him. He would get a taste of this one soon enough, but for now…_

_Profit before pleasure…always profit before pleasure_

_The greedy thoughts didn't stop him from pulling his hardened manhood out of the confines of his suit. With a grunt, the man came all over his expensive suit. Stifling his disgust at the mess, he put his limp member away and set about to cleaning up. The doctor would be here any minute and he needed to be presentable._

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	5. Chapter 5

3 Days:

"Ai-Aibou…" Atemu choked as another tear slid down his face. He dropped to his knees in stunned despair. "Why…?"

The boy's doctor had just left him after recounting the massive list of injuries that Yugi had sustained. He couldn't get over what his little one had suffered. It was atrocious!

On top of the bruises and swelling on the right side of his angelic face, the boy had three broken ribs – one of which had punctured a lung, resulting in his emergency surgery that first day, two broken fingers, and major burns and bruising on the bottoms of his feet. There were various burns on his torso, and rope marks encircling his wrists and ankles. One ankle was broken almost completely and he had lash marks on his back, buttocks and thighs.

The former Pharaoh couldn't believe that there were people on this earth who were so vile that they could do this to another human being seemingly without remorse. Just the thought was making him violently ill. He knew their friends were on their way, expecting answers, but what could he tell them? Or, rather, how could he tell them? How could he tell them what he knew, what his little one had endured for almost two years?

The worst part was finding out that his little one had been raped repeatedly, both orally and anally. That he had already gone through two surgeries to repair the damage done internally - and would need at least one more to ensure that his digestive tract would function properly.

The former Pharaoh used the side of the bed as leverage to pull himself to his feet. Just knowing that someone had touched his little angel against his will had Atemu gripping the bar on the side of the bed so tightly that the metal was beginning to reshape itself according to his strength.

How he wished he could get his hands on the evil bastard – bastards? - that had done this to his beautiful, angelic Aibou…oh, the things that he would do to that…A twisted smirk formed on his face as he imagined it. He had never felt such a powerful rage in his life. To have a chance at the _thing_ that had done this!

Something inside the former Pharaoh snapped violently, almost audibly, as he thought about what his little one had gone through – and what he would do to the party responsible. He would start with…

"Holy shit!" A whispered exclamation brought the furious teen from his sadistic musings.

Blinking at the rapidly retreating darkness in the room, Atemu almost thought he had imagined it. He turned swiftly to greet his former nemesis, wondering how the thief managed to get here first. That had never happened before. Not when getting somewhere involved a car and more importantly - keys.

"Bakura." He acknowledged. "Where are the others?"

Bakura shot across the room, gripping a hold of Atemu's arm and drawing him roughly away from Yugi's bedside. "Ryou and the others are on their way, they were cleaning up the shop. Atemu…I thought you said that our shadow powers were gone?"

"What do you mean? They've been gone."

"Then what the hell was that?" Bakura hissed, gesturing wildly.

Atemu glanced briefly around the room, trying to feel what the other was implying. He couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. The tomb robber had to have lost it. There was nothing different here.

"I have no idea." He stated flatly, wondering what had gotten into his friend.

Bakura gnawed on his lower lip as he studied the lifeless figure lying in the bed. That was Yugi? What happened? He wandered over to the bed, shock written on his normally closed off features.

"What the hell happened to him?"

"It's a long story…" Atemu ran an agitated hand through his hair. "I'll tell you when the others get here. I don't want to have to repeat it."

With an understanding nod the former tomb robber turned his thoughts back to what had met him when he walked into the room. He knew shadow powers when he sensed them. And he definitely felt them here, in this room. Not only that, but he had seen the shadows. He was not imagining that. But as soon as he had spoken aloud everything in the room returned to normal. Was it possible…?

"Atemu, what were you thinking about when I came in?" Bakura questioned innocently.

The former Pharaoh regarded the other closely. Why did he want to know? What was the thief getting at? He glanced back at his little one, the impotent rage once again taking over his mind before he could control it. That someone would dare…

"They found him…some woman found him…lying on her lawn, about, ah, twenty miles from here…anyways, there were…bloody tracks…he was trying to…to get away…from that…" Atemu trailed off, clenching his fists in helpless fury. When he got his hands on whatever did this…

"That! Right there!" Bakura all but shouted.

This time Atemu saw it out of the corner of his eye. The shadows withdrawing back into his form. Scarlet eyes widened in astonishment. What in the hell? He had no shadow powers. But if he didn't, then what was that? Could this be possible? And if so, what did it mean?

The former ruler gave an experimental shift in emotions. His jaw dropped, giving him a dumbfounded expression, when several transparent wisps of shadow curled around his wrists, almost as if attempting to comfort him. Startled, he shook off the clingy darkness as his wide, startled eyes sought out Bakura's.

Bakura snatched at his arm again, pulling him close to whisper, as Jou and Seto walked quietly into the room. "We need to talk to Marik! But don't say anything to the others. Not one word!"

Atemu nodded acquiescently. He needed time to figure out what this meant. For him, for his Aibou and their life. To tell the others would just invite more questions that he didn't have the answers to. Grateful for the distraction he turned to greet the rest of the group who had come as soon as they had heard the news.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

10 Days:

"…And his latest scores are vastly improved. I don't think he will be waking up in the very near future, but this is encouraging. He's fighting and that's what we want. The results of his culture will be in later today…" Alex adjusted the chart as she informed the two teens of the unseen milestones that their friend had made in just a week "…Dr. Johanssen wants to do a consult on this. As I said before he comes very highly recommended…"

Atemu nodded, not really listening to the commentary. He had heard what he needed to hear. Yugi was continuing to gain strength amidst all of the setbacks. The slight fever the boy had worried him a little, but if Alex was to be believed, this Johanssen was reputed to be the leading infectious disease specialist in this area. Maybe he would know what was causing the little one's fever.

"…And he wants to examine Yugi alone…"

"What?" Atemu barked, caught off guard by the request. His protective nature kicked into high gear. Oh. Hell. No!

"He's just going to examine him. Okay? Johanssen isn't very people oriented and your presence might make him uncomfortable. I know you don't want to let Yugi out of your sight, but I think it might be a good idea for you to go with the others and get some food. I will drop in on him, if it makes you feel a little easier about it." Alex suggested.

"Come on _almighty Pharaoh_, let's grab a bite." Bakura rolled his eyes as he lugged Atemu towards the door.

With a sigh the former Pharaoh let his companion drag him out of the room, showing only the slightest resistance.

Bakura had been here through all of the ups and downs of Yugi's painfully slow recovery. The white haired teen had sat by that bedside right along with him as he poured out his impotent rage, even though Bakura had a life of his own to live. And to Atemu's surprise he trusted the thief's opinion. However self-serving and callous the former thief may have been at one time, he was turning out to be one of his greatest allies in this life.

"Look…I know you didn't want to leave, but one – you need food. And two – no one is going to get within five feet to even attempt to find out what is wrong with the midget with you standing there and glowering at them. So we'll take off for a minute. If we happen to surprise the doctor's stupid ass when we come back early, oh well." Bakura snickered. "Besides, we can meet Ryou and Jou when they get here."

"Speaking of the others…when's Malik and Marik due back?" Atemu questioned as he followed his friend into the elevator.

The platinum blonde duo had gone to Egypt three days ago seeking answers concerning the return of their shadow powers. The biggest question on all their minds was that if the shadows had returned, did the evil come along with it?

They needed to know if they were going to be called on to banish another demon that was attempting to make its way into the physical world. Or if the shadows that had always been a part of their past lives were a part of their new ones as well. Atemu seriously hoped for the latter explanation. Very seriously.

"They'll be back later today. That was Marik on the phone earlier, when I left the room." Bakura tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the elevator doors to open. "He has good news. And some bad…"

"Please don't tell me…" Atemu started as he leaned heavily back against the cool metal wall.

"…the bad isn't as bad as we thought. To hear him tell it, that cracking sensation that you felt the other day – it was the seal placed on your shadow powers. It's been weakening ever since Yugi disappeared. It finally shattered. I guess Isis knew this was going to happen. And she said that in her latest vision the gods were telling her that they had decided to let us stay among the living regardless of that fact. That we're needed more here than there. There's no new evil threatening to wreak havoc – just the same old evil that has been in human hearts since the dawn of time – is what she said."

The doors finally opened and the duo made their way into the brightly lit hall.

"So that means…?" Atemu murmured as he thought over what the other was trying to say, not paying the slightest attention to where Bakura was leading him, the hall twisting and turning in confusing patterns.

"It means that we have the gods' permission to take out those who would willingly do this to another person." Bakura finished as they stepped up to join the small line in the hospital cafeteria.

Atemu turned on his friend with a half sane glaze to his scarlet eyes and a wild smirk on his face. "Well that definitely puts a different spin on things."

"That it does." Bakura smirked back.

Atemu mused silently on Bakura's words as they gathered their lunch and found a table. Not too long after the royal teen had cracked open the lock placed on his powers the other two former spirits managed to find a way to break theirs as well. And now it seemed as though they had the gods' permission. Well, things were going to get interesting!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_Christmas Eve:_

_Oh gods he hurt so badly…how long had he been here anyways? Yugi sobbed as he tugged ineffectively at the bindings that held his arms and legs spread wide. This glass enclosure was his worst nightmare. It was where he was taken for hours at a time, subjected to beatings and humiliation day after day as curious onlookers gathered at the glass to watch as he begged for his dignity._

_People he didn't know could touch him in places that he didn't want them to touch and if he so much as flinched he felt another painful slap to his already abused bottom, another comment about how he was a whore and should act accordingly._

_The idea that they were drilling into his head was that his body belonged to his master to use as he saw fit. And that his prized virginity would be given away in a couple of hours to the highest bidder. It was to the point where he almost believed them, when they said he was nothing more than a lowly whore and that his only mission in life was to provide pleasure to others by spreading his legs for his master's profit._

_The drugs that had been a constant part of his existence for the past month were beginning to wear off and the pleasant numb feeling that allowed him to watch his life as if standing by the wayside was retreating, leaving his mind open to the fact that these people were touching him as they wandered around the room, making their decisions as to which one of the new virgins would be theirs for the night._

_He didn't want this! He wanted Yami! Why hadn't his darker half come for him? Despairingly, the small teen dissolved into sobs again, twisting away from another probing hand that made its way up inside his aching, sore body. It hurt so badly – he didn't want anyone touching him there!_

_Smack!_

_Yugi cried out in shock as he glanced back at the person holding the paddle. Big mistake. That earned him another five spankings with the hard wooden instrument. His body twisting away from the intense pain as best it could._

"_So he's been here for a month and you still haven't beat obedience into him."_

_Yugi shivered as the smooth voice that whispered the comment came from behind his ear. It wasn't directed to him, but rather to his paddle wielding master. The man who enjoyed his pain, the one who he and the others in this room were given over to when they misbehaved or tried to escape. Which was rather often, at least in his case. He felt a hand fondle his manhood, his body reacting against his will to the unwanted touch. He stiffened at the affront._

"_Yes, he is rather spirited. I've tried almost everything I can think of to break his will and yet he still fights." The man replied with a smirk._

_Yugi felt the cold hands as they pried his buttocks apart, a solitary, dry finger gaining painful entrance as the man behind him spoke again. The finger moved about, searching for something, running along his insides, until Yugi cried out, mortified at his body's defection. _

"_Hmmmm, nice. I'll give you one million dollars for a chance to teach this naughty little beauty his place."_

_Oh no! Nonononono! Please, anything but this! Yugi jerked away from the probing finger, sobbing hysterically. The finger withdrew and the man backed away giving the paddle another chance to find its way to his backside._

"_But the auction…"The owner returned the paddle to the floor._

"_Take it or leave it. You won't get a better offer." The other man shrugged._

_A vindictive look crossed the paddle wielder's face. "Well it is rather generous…but you need to do it here, provide the evening's entertainment. I want to see if you can handle him."_

"_It's a deal." The man held out his hand._

_They shook on it and the owner of the establishment turned to the crowd of elite, wealthy men and women, clapping his hands together loudly. "Attention ladies and gentlemen…there has been a slight change of plans. We will begin moving our merchandise into the other viewing room. This room has been booked for some unexpected entertainment!"_

"_I expect you to remember the rules…do not damage my merchandise." The man left with his word of warning._

_A round of applause met the statement as everyone moved towards the double doors. Yugi watched fearfully as the other seven children were untied and carried out of the room, his heart near to bursting in his chest. This man was going to hurt him something fierce. And there was nothing he could do to stop him. Where was his other half? His darkness? Where?_

'_Someone help me…Yami!'_

_Crack! A scream tore itself loose from the teen's lips as the crop landed on his fiery rear. Sobbing pitifully, Yugi writhed against the pain. Two more times, in quick succession, the blinding pain was felt along his backside. The small teen started choking on the shameful tears._

"_By time I'm through with you…you will be begging me to fuck you, whore!" The voice whispered harshly in his ear._

_The bindings were cut and Yugi fell to the ground with a thump. His arms and legs were numb from being held in such an untenable position for so long. He crawled clumsily backwards from the large, brawny man who had bought him for the night, looking for a weapon as he gave a beseeching glance at the people gathered around the glass, watching gleefully._

_There was no weapon, and no help to be had by the malicious, evil people who were plainly enjoying his torment. He could see it on all their faces. How could they be so cruel? Why wouldn't anyone help him? What had he done to deserve this?_

_All of a sudden a large meaty fist grabbed a hold of his arm and yanked his naked form off the floor, tossing him towards the bed in the corner of the room. He landed hard, with a yelp, and attempted to get his feet under him, but it was no use. The man was there before he could so much as utter a single word of protest._

_Feet, hands, teeth – anything he could move became a weapon as he fought off the bear like man who was intent on defiling him. A roar of pain filled his ears as his teeth found purchase. A large hand crashed down against his face, knocking his head to the side, stunning him momentarily. He cried out it pain as he was once again lifted and his stomach came in contact with the man's overly large thighs. He could feel the man's erection digging into his ribs from his degrading position._

_This couldn't be happening! Yugi thought as the first hard blow came down on his sore and welted rear. Oh god it hurt! Please, make it stop! He sobbed, his breath taken away by the sting and embarrassment of not only being bare, but beaten in such a childlike manner._

"_I'll teach you not to bite!" The man had no mercy, raining blows down upon the small teen as he sobbed and writhed in humiliated pain. "You are a whore and you will act like it!"_

_After what seemed like a very long time indeed, Yugi was tossed back onto the bed. And before he could even move any of his numb limbs his hands were tied tightly above his head and his feet pulled up along with them, making it almost impossible to move, leaving him in a very exposed position. He felt a large hand fondle his sac roughly before moving down to probe callously at his entrance._

"_Such a pretty little whore…I'm gonna fuck you in that sweet little ass until you're screaming my name, whore!" The man taunted, removing his hand to shed his clothes. "You're gonna be sore in the morning boy…"_

_Yugi's struggles reached fever pitch as he sobbed uncontrollably. He flinched at the hurtful words and the intent behind them as he prayed for someone to save him. But even he knew it was too late. The bed dipped as another person's weight was added to it._

'_Think of Yami, think of Yami…Yami's the one you're laying with. He's the one who's loving you…he's the…' Yugi screamed out as something large and dry invaded his body._

'_Yami…wouldn't…do…this…'_


	6. Chapter 6

He couldn't believe his luck. Of all the places to find this intoxicating little jewel – here, in his hospital - was not where he was expecting. He thought this was what he had seen the other day when making his rounds. Such a pity.

Something had to have gone wrong, for everyone in his circle knew that the owner of that particular establishment wouldn't stand for his property to be abused like this. But no matter, he wasn't in the mood to let the man know that his prize possession was sitting in the hospital fighting for its life. It wasn't his job.

And besides, maybe now he would have a chance to taste that delectable flesh without the thousand dollar price tag that came along with it. Yep, he was of no mind to tell that pompous windbag that he had found what the other man had lost.

The lanky doctor hummed tunelessly to himself as he filled the syringe, tapping it gently to expel the air. He gave a lust filled leer towards the tiny, limp figure – showing a row of even, overly white teeth, as he ran a hand over the soft, bruise laden skin.

"Such a beautiful little gem as yourself deserves a man like me. I'll help you recover, but in return you're going to have to pay me back." He chuckled as he injected the liquid into a free vein. "Don't worry beautiful, you'll like it."

"What did you say…?"

A low snarl came from behind, causing the arrogant doctor to pause in the act of throwing the empty syringe in the biohazard bag. He didn't expect anyone in the room when he examined his newest patient. In fact, hadn't he expressly told that female that no one was to disturb him? Figures she would go against his wishes. Bitch!

"I didn't say anything…Who are you and what are you doing in here? No one's supposed to be in the room when I examine a patient!"

Johanssen tried to cover up his mistake behind a haughty frown, turning to face his accuser. The moment he turned around he saw what appeared to be an older, more exotic version of the small boy lying in the bed standing beside the door, a lethal glare on his face. For a minute he almost thought he was seeing double…

He glanced back at the bed, before looking once again to the furious teen by the door.

Holy hell, there were two of them? And the one standing by the door looked rather demonic with those glowing red eyes. Johanssen's hands began to shake as he fought with the urge to run and hide from those piercing, unholy eyes. Unconsciously he took a step back from the wild eyed teen as a bronze hand was casually lifted in his direction.

"I am your worst nightmare." The older version hissed as wisps of shadow curled out from around his form, darkening the room, drawing all light into their power. "You will be judged for…"

"What the Hell is goin' on in here?" Another voice broke the shadows hold on the room and they winked out of existence.

"Jou - get out of here." Atemu growled low in his throat, his feet moving rapidly in the direction of the terrified doctor.

He heard what the _good doctor_ had said to his Aibou. Every last word. And he was going to punish him for it. That…that conceited bastard! That evil, no good son of a…Damn Jou for ruining his concentration! He would have…

"Atemu! What are you doing?" Alex's voice sounded concerned as she peeked into the room.

Atemu twitched in surprise, tightening his grip. The former Pharaoh didn't remember actually cornering the doctor, nor did he recall when he had managed to lift the man off the ground by his neck. A rather extraordinary feat on its own seeing as the man towered over him by almost a foot. With an evil smirk he pulled the rapidly-tuning-blue man to him, almost as if he were a lover murmuring endearments.

"I heard what you said." Atemu whispered softly – the tone belying the quiet words, ruby eyes blazing. "I heard it very clearly. You get only this one warning! If I see you in this room…if you…touch him again…you and I will be playing a little game!"

The former spirit set the doctor roughly back on the floor with a glare. The instant his feet touched solid ground the man practically flew from the room, his lab coat flapping against his thighs in his haste to flee. He brushed by Jou, Ryou and Bakura, the latter lifting a foot to help him on his way with a chuckle.

"What was that all about?" Alex demanded of Atemu, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "If you were anyone other than who you are, you'd be tossed out of here on your arse! You had better be thanking your lucky stars that the board overlooks that type of behavior from their benefactors!"

"That is between me and the _good_ doctor, but he needs to stay far away from my Aibou!" Atemu bit out, arms folded over his chest. "He is not allowed anywhere near this room. If I find him in here again, there's no telling what shape he will be in when he comes out…if he does."

Alex slumped back against the door with a sigh, taking her glasses off and polishing them on her lab coat as she thought on how best to respond to this clear threat on her coworker's health.

"Look, whatever it is that he did to upset you…I'll be sure to report his behavior…and he will stay away from this room, I'll make sure of it." Alex replied, shifting her ever present clipboard as she perched the spectacles back on the tip of her nose. "…Anyways, I have good news. Yugi has a simple bacterial infection. It's not MSRA. With the vitamins and antibiotics he's on it should run its course and be gone within a day or two. I have rounds to make and now a report to file, but I'll be back in soon. You behave!"

The tiny lady left the boys to their own devices, closing the door softly with questions buzzing in her brain. Why had Atemu gone off like that? He was always well spoken and polite to her and the nurses. What had Johanssen said to piss him off? True her colleague was an arrogant ass of a doctor, but was he really that bad of a person as well? She was going to have to report the incident.

The group stared after the two doctors, before Atemu pulled the chair that had been pushed aside back up to the side of the bed. He didn't think that the doctor would come back around, but it didn't hurt to be extra vigilant, just in case. The nerve of that arrogant son of a bitch. Payback? What type of payback?

He sighed to himself, turning his mind towards other matters, totally ignoring the others. Finally, some good news. The ruby eyed teen didn't think he could take much more. His little one had been hovering somewhere between life and death for the past week or so. And he was feeling quite powerless to help the boy. Damn it this was his Aibou! He had to be able to do something! Right?

"Atemu…?" Jou questioned, unsure of whether he wanted the darker teen's attention focused on him after the earlier outburst.

"Yes Jou?" Atemu responded wearily.

"I thought you might need this…" The blonde held out the puzzle that he had snatched off the end of Yugi's bed when he came from his shift at the game shop. His friend had mentioned something about wanting to put it back around Yugi's neck, to see if it would bring their link back.

Atemu's eyes widened at the sight of the puzzle. He hadn't been home in the last ten days. And even though he had thought many times of retrieving it, it always seemed to slip his mind on the rare occasions that he slipped out of the boy's room.

"Thank you Jou…" He gave a tiny smile.

"Yeah, uh, no problem…I just want him to get better. I want my bud back…I miss him…He's here, but he's not…and" The blonde broke down into tears and walked away from the two startled former spirits.

Jou paced the length of the room, his arms wrapped around his chest, trying to calm the turbulent emotions racing around his head. Just like the two dark teens, he was uncomfortable with emotional outburst and didn't want to be comforted. He would willingly show his rage and anger, but to break down like he had.

He didn't want anyone to see him like this. Thank god the others seemed to realize this and they steered clear of him for the moment.

Jou watched from the corner of the room as Atemu placed the puzzle over his little one's still, vacant form. It was a heart wrenching scene, as the darker teen nuzzled his face into the little one's neck, searching for a sign, just something to let him know that his efforts weren't in vain.

Both Jou and Bakura both averted their eyes as Atemu came away from the contact shaken and teary eyed. It was breaking their hearts to witness his torment. Ryou wrapped a comforting arm around the former Pharaoh and led him away from Yugi's bedside.

"I can sense him…not his thoughts, but his feelings…he's scared…hurt…ashamed…oh gods what did they do to him." The rage burned in those piercing scarlet eyes, dark shadows winding up and around his form, pulling him into their embrace. "They will be paid back tenfold for whatever evil was done to him…That is a promise!"

"We'll get them back…we will. And Marik and I will help." Bakura promised his friend, shadows of his own extending out in the direction of his broken comrade. "And I think maybe we will start with our doctor friend. I want to know what he was talking about, just as much as you do."

Atemu nodded back at the tomb robber, his gaze almost eerie in its intensity. Even Ryou nodded in pledge to help, knowing about the return of their powers well before the current display.

Jou looked at the shadowy duo with fright in his eyes. The two of them were terrifying enough without their powers. When had they gotten those back? That question and others floated around his shocked mind as he quietly retreated back to the corner of the room instead of offering his help.

Maybe this was a good thing. If anyone could find out who did this to his small friend, they could.

A spike in terrified feelings brought Atemu's eyes back to the form on the bed. He gently reached out and took the small, trembling hand into his own, squeezing lightly.

"Shhh. Little one…I'm here now, it's okay…" He whispered, sending calming sensations through the nearly broken link.

His words seemed to still the cataleptic youth's trembling, restoring his breathing and heart rate back to peaceful rhythms. If only he could break into the boy's thoughts and get to him that way. But his little one was too far locked inside his mind for him to even entertain the idea.

He would have to sit and wait this one out - to let the boy fight his demons until he was strong enough to break free of his coma. And then, gods willing, Atemu could help him the rest of the way. It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. To sit back and wait. Even the decision to sacrifice his life paled in comparison.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

23 Days:

Atemu looked thoughtfully over at his little one as he squeezed the small, pale hand again. His heart soared with suppressed emotion. Yugi was beginning to squeeze his fingers on command, at times seeming to know left from right. And several times it looked as though he might have wanted to say something, his mouth opening and closing as if to form unheard words. Several times that day Atemu had leaned in closely to try and catch the silent murmurs.

The no longer needed breathing tube had been taken out, as well as several other tubes that had been put in place to help him heal and the boy seemed to be resting comfortably, a little more relaxed even, less tension in the way he laid on recently healed his back.

Most of the diminutive teen's visible injuries had healed to the point of being just simple white scar tissue, other than his ankle, which was still enclosed in a plaster cast. His angelic face was back to normal and his beautiful eyes were beginning to open just ever so slightly, the irises following every one of the former Pharaoh's movements.

But once again the high heart rate and the myriad of feelings dribbling down the barely existent link were giving Atemu cause for concern. The boy was just out of his reach, he could feel it and he was powerless to do anything other than sit there and hold his hand, whispering encouraging words as his little one fought his nightmares.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_What had he done that was so bad? Why had he been taken away? Hadn't he been good? His new master was coming again; he could feel the vibrations in the floor from his heavy footsteps. A deep involuntary shudder overtook his small frame. Not again! He wouldn't survive._

"_I knew you'd be awake…"The man chuckled evilly. "I think we've had enough fun for now. I'll just get me a quick piece before I head to work."_

_Yugi opened his swollen, black and blue eyes as he was rolled over onto his stomach. He didn't have enough strength to fight back and wouldn't even if he did. He knew his place. A burning pressure came from down below, but he was used to that by now. He was still bleeding profusely from the last time the man had done this. Another shudder rocked the small teen's broken form._

_Even if he was used to it, and the blood did give a form of lubrication, it still hurt from where the man had thrust whatever he could find handy deep inside of him. A few moments after it began, it was finished, and with a grunt the man pulled out and zipped up his pants._

_The man gave a last look at yet another one of his brother's toys that he had broken. This one would be dead by the time he came home. But maybe not. Maybe there was time for one final round later tonight. It didn't matter to him, maybe he wouldn't come back. He did have another life to return to. He'd had his fun - he thought with a smirk._

_He would beg his brother's forgiveness when he went back to town. His brother would forgive him, he had the last time. And if anyone happened to find the body of this whore inside the house that he had procured just for this experience – well no one would ever be able to tie it to him. He had already made sure of that._

_He stalked back down the stairs and out to the car. Jumping inside, he pushed the remote for the garage door and went about his morning routine. Oh shit… he forgot to tie up his prize. Oh well, no matter. He had no reason to think that the boy would be able to make it out of the house. Not after what he had put him through in the past week. Besides, the little slut had learned only too well what was expected of him. His prize would still be there when he got back, if he returned. It was still undecided…_

_Yugi fought hard against the numbing feeling of impending unconsciousness. He heard the garage door open and the sound of a car speeding away from the house. He moved his arms uncomfortably, waiting for the blast of pain that always followed. Wait…he could move his arms! That meant…_

_Groggily the small teen looked around his surroundings. He knew he should wait willingly for his newest master to come home. To not obey the command meant punishment. But…his new master's intent was to kill him – as slowly and painfully as possible. He could see it in those cold blue eyes. He really didn't want to die here. He didn't want to die and be disposed of like a piece of worthless trash. Even though that was technically what he was. Another worthless whore._

_He inched his way over to the side of the hastily made, soiled pallet that he had called home for the past week, coughing up small droplets of blood as he moved. Slowly he put his shaking legs over the side of the mattress. Once his bare feet hit the floor an intense wave of pain hit him, making him cry out in agony. More blood made its way past his dry, cracked lips to drip down his naked, painfully bruised chest. He cast a longing glance at the barrier between him and his freedom._

_Could he make it out the door? If he did he had better be long gone by the time his master got home. Or his punishment would be even worse than what it was before. It was at that moment that he decided it was now or never._

_He was going to die, and he knew it. But he wanted someone to find him…someone needed to know. Someone very important in his past life – someone that they had tried to beat out of his head, but remained as only a dream, a wish. That person needed to know that Yugi was no longer missing, but instead free of his misery._

_The image of the face was nonexistent; the name of this person just out of reach – only a pair of exotic scarlet eyes was left to haunt his dreams – but the small teen knew there was someone who needed to know._

_It took him a few moments to attempt to stand; his entire body was nothing but a mass of painful bruises and agonizing welts that tore open with every single movement. His arm wrapped around his chest protectively at the piercing pain that invaded his mind with every action, but still he pressed on._

_Yugi used his other arm to push off the bed and he promptly tumbled to the floor, with a surprised cry. Damn that hurt! One of his legs was wholly unusable, unable to take his weight. He thought it might well be broken after what had happened earlier in the week. Self-preservation and that fuzzy picture of someone very important to him seated firmly in his mind urged him on to his bruised knees and he began to crawl lethargically towards the door, towards freedom._

_It took him a couple of tries to get the handle to turn but he eventually got it. An almost euphoric high greeted him at that victory. Now all he had to do was make it out of the house…_

_Yeah right._

_He shook his head gingerly. He had to stop thinking so negatively or he wouldn't make it. Using his forearms to pull him along the tiles, he moved slowly into the hall. The stairs were another matter altogether. How the hell was he going to get down those stairs? He sat at the top, looking down the frightfully long stairwell._

_Yugi took a deep, calming breath despite the pain. He had nothing left to lose now. With a jerk of his body, he threw himself over the edge of the stairs, half rolling half tumbling all the way to the bottom where he landed in a broken heap on his injured back. Sobbing quietly, he let the pain flow over his body, invading his brain and numbing it to the throbbing, painful sensations._

_He laid there for quite a while, his mind fading in and out of consciousness. A creak somewhere in the house caught his attention and, frightened; he slowly rolled over and began to crawl towards the front door, leaving a tiny trail of blood in his wake. It would do him no good to be caught now._

_He coughed up another, larger spot of blood as his breathing became further labored. It hurt so badly…he knew he was bleeding internally. He could feel the blood running down his thighs as well as a sharp pain in his spine that was nowhere near normal. And the excruciating twinge in his chest was making it nearly impossible to breathe._

_Before he knew it, the small teen was out of the house and crawling down the cement driveway, tearing the skin on his knees and his hands as he pulled himself further away from the house of his tormentor. If he could just get away from the house…_

_Grass was a welcome feeling beneath his hands. And he collapsed to the ground…spent. This was it, his time had come. The darkness blurred the corners of his vision, before slowly taking over the rest of his sight. If only he could have seen the one who's dream like image had kept him going one last time. _

"_Ya-mi…" He murmured softly – finally remembering the name as he closed his tearstained eyes. His tormented brain barely registered the sound of a nearby woman screaming loudly._

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	7. Chapter 7

Again, this is a reminder that this entire story is on the violent side and contains scenes (the ones in italics) that are not suitable for some people. You are warned off this story – do not bitch if you go on and don't like what you read. Yes it is heavily edited, but there are still parts of the scenes needed in order to understand why certain things happen in the present. I do not treat this matter lightly and I would ask the same of you. Thank you.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"…mi…"

Atemu whipped his head around at the soft sound. Did Yugi just speak? "Aibou…?" He questioned tentatively, leaning in a little closer. His little one had been waking up in stages for the past couple of days. And it almost sounded as if the boy was trying to say his name.

"Aibou…if you can hear me…wake up. It's okay, I'm here…no one will ever hurt you again." Atemu coaxed the boy, his ruby eyes centered on the longed for sight of bleary amethyst eyes as they began to open, to search.

Those beautiful eyes focused on him… "Aibou…Oh gods! Yugi!" Atemu bolted from the chair to raise the tiny figure into his arms. At his movement, the eyes widened with fear. Startled, Yugi clumsily shifted away as fast as he could move.

Atemu checked himself as he witnessed the spark of fear in those expressive eyes. Dropping his gaze, he murmured an apology and returned to his seat - but not before pushing the call button on the side of the bed. Finally! His little one was awake. But why the look of fear? He gnawed on his bottom lip, his brain refusing to acknowledge the answer…

Where was he? How long had he been here? He couldn't remember anything beyond being brought into _The Room_ for a minor punishment and being told that he was being leased out for the week to someone...He hurt…his body refused to obey his brain. He had been punished again. It wasn't even a question. What did he do this time?

Questions and thoughts formed in the smaller teen's mind, forgotten almost as soon as they registered. One thought remained firm though. This wasn't _The_ _Room, _and it wasn't his room_._ Where was he?

Yugi scanned the area tiredly, his strength fading fast, his eyes lighting on Atemu's wide-eyed figure with a sudden panic. Who was the boy standing possessively by his bed? He looked familiar. Was this his master? He looked so young. Was he the one who disciplined him? If only he could remember what it was that he did to deserve such a severe punishment that left him wholly unable to control his body. It was a mistake he really didn't want to repeat.

Atemu watched anxiously as Yugi fought to keep his eyes open. Where was their nurse? He could see the questions hidden within the amethyst depths as the boy peered around the room before settling the startled gaze on him. He saw the fear with which his Aibou looked at him. But he couldn't talk. It was as if his voice were snatched away by the terror in those easy to read eyes.

"You called?" One of the nurses poked her head inside the door, unnoticed by Atemu, but just in time to take in the sight of her patient – awake, maybe not alert, but awake. "Oh goodness! I'll get Dr. Brisby!"

"Aibou…?" Atemu finally found his voice just as Yugi lost the bid to stay conscious, his head dropping back onto the pillow.

As soon as the amethyst eyes became hidden completely by the fringe of thick lashes, the dark teen made his way back over to the bed. He brushed the lock of blonde hair out of the smaller teen's face lovingly. Had he imagined it? Was his little one really waking up? It almost seemed surreal. Minutes ticked by as he waited for someone, anyone to confirm what he thought he had seen as true.

"Atemu? Is it true? Did he really open his eyes?" Alex's tiny figure burst through the door.

"I…I think so. I don't know." Atemu replied, gazing wistfully at the motionless figure lying in the bed. "I swear he was awake. But I don't know now…maybe it was a dream."

Alex grinned back at the tired teen. "Well, hon…if it was a dream, then you aren't the only one sleeping. Miranda said that she saw him too. Don't worry. He's probably just drained. We'll let him rest for a little while and then I'm going to run a few tests. Why don't you go and inform the others. I'm sure that they would love to know he's awake. I'll be out of your way by the time you get back."

Atemu nodded and made his way out of the room, but not without casting one last longing glance at the boy who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. It had been so long since he was able to hold him, to see those beautiful eyes light up with joy.

Would Yugi still be the same smiling angel that he had come to know and love? Or would there forever be a cloud of shadows hanging over the boy's head? The dark teen shook his head. Only time would tell. For now he was just glad to have his little one back among the living.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Really? Really, really?" Jou grabbed Atemu in a bone crushing hug, causing the dark teen to wince.

"Jou…I think you need to let Atemu breathe." Seto grabbed his boyfriend's arm gently, attempting to free the former Pharaoh from certain death.

It was the first chance that the duo had been able to get down to the hospital to take part in what should have been a joyous occasion. But when they had gotten there, it was to the news that Atemu had to kick everyone out of the room earlier, with Alex's whole hearted permission.

One look at Bakura and Marik had sent the newly awakened teen into a full blown panic. And it had taken almost thirty minutes to calm him down. But Atemu had just told Jou that he could go see his friend for a minute, and that was what had caused the brown eyed teen's momentary lapse in reason.

Jou stepped back with a sheepish look. "Oh, uh…sorry about that…but he's really awake! And I can see him! That's great!"

"Yeah…it's great…Look, guys…I, ah, don't really know how to say this so I'll just come right out and say it. Yugi doesn't remember me…or the others." Atemu glanced back towards the closed door to his Aibou's room with a tight smile. "Don't be too surprised if he doesn't know you either. Alex said it may take him a while to regain his memories…if he does at all."

"I'm all done now…you can come in. He's awake, but I gave him something to relax him. I don't want more than three people in the room at one time." Alex opened the door to admit the three teens. "He's disoriented and scared right now. He knows he's in the hospital, just not how he got here, and he's not talking quite yet. He's been through a lot, so don't make too much of his memory loss. It's going to take some time. And considering what he has been through, I want you to take it slow. Let him be the one to set the pace."

"What do you mean?" Atemu questioned with a dark look. "Take what slow?"

"I mean that he's not used to physical contact – at least not without pain. Yes, he needs to be held and cuddled and all of those things that every person wants, but go slow okay. He's real hesitant to let anyone lay a hand on him."

The former spirit clenched his fists in anger as he took in the doctor's words. What had he done? His Aibou was afraid of him. And try as he might, he was not able to fully access the boy's mind to find out why. He couldn't get through. It seemed as though the link wasn't getting any stronger even though Yugi was awake.

He had tried many times throughout the day to contact the little one mentally – to no avail. Intense feelings would trickle over to his side of the link, but no complete thoughts. So he couldn't comfort the boy that way, and right now the frightened teen was refusing his touch. After spending the last couple of weeks holding his hand, Atemu almost felt empty without the simple contact.

His feelings must have shown on his face for the doctor's next words were for him alone.

"I don't mean to tell you that you can't touch him. Just let him decided if he wants it. I think it was your attempt to calm him that really sent him off the deep end earlier."

The group nodded in understanding before filing quietly into the room. Atemu's face lit up when he saw that Yugi was sitting up in bed, wide awake and staring blankly at a commercial on the TV. How he had longed for this sight. But there was still a long ways to go before they returned to living a normal life.

"Aibou…" He murmured quietly.

"Yugi!" Jou breathed, tears visible in his eyes. "My god…you're awake."

The boy's eyes left the screen and shot fearfully over to the visitors as he curled in on himself. Who were these people? What did they want from him? And then he recognized the dark teen from before. This must be his master. He had to be, his actions said so. But why did he look so sad? Was it because of what happened earlier? Did he disappoint his master? Would he be punished for it?

Atemu took his seat in the chair by the bed, noticing as he did that his little one flinched back towards the wall, shivering. Damn. This was going to be harder than he thought. Shakily he held out a hand to the boy, hoping against all hope that his offer wouldn't be rejected.

Yugi stared at the slender hand his master held out to him, amethyst eyes wide with terror. And then he looked up and caught sight of the downcast expression on the darker teen's face. Was he supposed to do something? He looked at the hand again. It was as if the other teen wanted to hold his hand. Would he be punished if he didn't? Or if he did? Was this a trick?

Hesitantly he took the warm hand into his own. Better to be safe than sorry. He was quite sure that the other was taking an accounting of how many punishments he earned, so that he could administer them when everyone else left the room. The small teen hoped that he had made the right move.

Atemu sighed at the warm touch of Yugi's tiny hand in his. Glancing up, he gave the boy a tiny smile, but it died on his lips when it was returned with a tearful look of panic. Had he moved too fast? Damn it he was doing this all wrong! All he wanted to do was to hold the little one close to his heart!

"I'm sorry Aibou…you don't have to." He murmured apologetically as he made to withdraw his hand.

The small hand tightened inside of his – unwilling to let go. The movement brought the smile back to his lips and he let their entwined hands rest on the edge of the bed, content with the simple touch.

Jou and Seto watched the tender moment, neither willing to say anything that would break the emotional silence. Tears threatened to fall from honey colored eyes, and the taller of the two held his boyfriend close as they watched the touching scene unfold before them.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Day 43:

"That's no excuse!" Atemu argued vehemently. "There is nothing physically wrong with him to warrant that type of action. I will not allow you to take him away from me!"

"I never said there was anything wrong with him physically. He's doing fine in his physical therapy…in fact better than we could've hoped. The impairment is mental. He's too damaged psychologically to even speak. He needs to be in a home that is equipped to deal that type of psychiatric…"

"NO! And that's final! Do not speak another word of that…of that horse shit around me!" The former Pharaoh snapped furiously as he stepped up, refusing to be intimidated.

"Now there's no need to swear, I'm trying to do what's best…"

"What is going on in here?" Alex raised her voice as she stepped into the room, pushing her way into the loud argument that had been going on between her charge's guardian and the hospital's psychiatrist for the past few minutes.

"Lower your voices! I can hear both of you all the way down the hall and in the other rooms!" She snapped at the two men.

"He's threatening to take Yugi away! And I will not allow it!" Atemu growled low in his throat, tapping the psychologist in the chest threateningly.

He was more than ready to launch himself at this so called expert, this smug, obnoxious man who talked so casually about calling a mental competency trial to lock his Aibou away permanently.

The only thing that kept him from throttling the man – or calling forth the shadows – was the fact that Jou and Seto were once again in the room. Not that they didn't know he had his powers back, but he didn't want to give them nightmares with what he was capable of. With what he wanted to do.

And on top of that, Yugi was also in the room, trembling as he sat curled in a tight ball in his bed listening to their loud words. But, so help him if this man persisted, he would…

A muffled sob caught his attention. Yugi! The dark teen glanced over at his charge, his face paling when he spied the large tear drops in the other's luminous eyes. Damn it! His little one shouldn't have had to hear this. Once again he really wished that this man hadn't started arguing with him the minute he stated that he was taking the boy home after he was capable of getting around on his crutches.

"…don't know what type of trauma he's been through. And we don't know what's going on in his head. I'm sorry, but there are places well equipped to deal with his problem – you're not. It would be doing him a…" The man went on, convinced that the youth before was going to give in eventually.

"And I said NO! Do I have to repeat myself yet again?" Atemu hissed back, taking another aggressive step forward to snag a hold of the doctor's coat. If only he could…

Seto put a hand in between the two combatants, breaking Atemu's hold. "He gave his final answer. The answer is no. Now unless you would like to lose your cushy job, I suggest you go inconvenience someone else!"

"But what if he attempts suicide…what if he tries to commit…" The man continued, raising his voice again, intent on defeating his opponents' flimsy argument.

"Atemu is well aware of that possibility, Dr. Moran. And for your information, these two gentlemen can and will have you dismissed if you continue to trouble them." She grinned at the look of shock on the man's face. "Dr. Moran please meet _the_ Atemu Motou, founder of the Light of Hope Foundation…and _the_ Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp., two of our newest - and finest board members."

"I'm quite sure they are capable of dealing with Yugi's rather _overwhelming_ problems." Alex finished sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

She really hated that man. She had ever since he was hired a little over a year ago. He was always right and anyone who argued against him was beaten down until they accepted his sometimes flawed theories. With a quick glance in the direction of the two powerful teens she held back the grin that fought its way to her lips. They both looked at the other doctor with superior, predatory smirks.

"Fine!" The man huffed as he took his leave. "But don't expect me to give permission for him to leave. He's not capable of existing in society. He needs to be locked away, permanently. I will be stating that in my report!"

At those words Atemu took a threatening step in the man's direction, his eyes flashing dangerously. Nobody…but nobody called his Aibou insane. Seto snatched the shorter teen back by the hem of his shirt, knowing full well what was about to happen.

"I've got his number…don't worry about him."

The blue eyed CEO kept a hold on the smaller teen's shirt as he pulled the phone out from his brief case and dialed a number that he had long ago memorized. Alex looked the other way – already knowing what was coming for her supercilious coworker.

Atemu, on the other hand, snatched his shirt back from the other's grasp and glared deeply in the direction that the psychiatrist had gone, fists clenched in anger. He had no need to go after the man now, Seto would handle the situation. He wouldn't even need to get his hands dirty. Besides there were other – more important matters to attend to

"Isono…I need you to look into someone's credibility, dig deep, find something shady…yes, I'll send his stats…And call Dr. Morganstein for me. He needs to know about one of his doctors' rather absurd notions."

Once Seto was finished with the conversation he tucked the phone away in his coat with a superior sniff. "He no longer has a job at this institution. It is null and void from the instant I get my hands on Morganstein."

"I didn't hear that." Alex mumbled as she turned away, searching for Atemu's distraught form.

She hadn't even realized that sometime during the conversation Atemu had slipped away to join Yugi as he huddled on the bed fearfully. Great! That idiot colleague of hers just had to start an argument within the boy's hearing range. And they were making so much progress. She had really thought that he would be able to leave the hospital within the next week if everything checked out okay. Hopefully this didn't cause another setback.

Yugi watched fearfully as his beautiful, commanding master went toe to toe with the large man in the white coat. He knew what the doctor wanted to do. He wanted to take him away from his master. He had said it before, during their sessions. But his master wouldn't let that happen. His master would never let him go.

The thought rang clear in his mind that this master was extremely possessive of him. It showed through in everything that he did - everything he said. The way the darker teen wouldn't leave him alone for any more than a minute or two at a time, the way he pushed for Yugi to make it through his grueling physical therapy appointments.

…every single move he made had a possessive ring to it. But there was also an underlying gentleness as well.

And for some odd reason, the very thought made Yugi's heart skip a beat. For even when they were alone, his master never raised a threatening hand against him. Never forced him to do anything. Never wanted something that he didn't want to give. The small teen fidgeted within the other's protective embrace, unsure of what to make of these entirely unusual feelings about this master.

In all the times that he had been owned by his first master (and passed around to all the guests who frequented _The House_), he had never felt this way. And his second master, now that he remembered him - well there was no lost love there. The man had tried to kill him. Wanted to torture him to death.

But these feelings for this master were wholly original to him. He could recall some his old master's guests and their little foibles, but none of them ever laid claim to him as thoroughly as this new master did, with his piercing scarlet eyes and his authoritative nature.

Unlike the others who may have owned his body, this one was threatening to own his soul…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_Graduation day:_

_Yugi soaking wet, shivering form sagged pitifully against the strips of cloth as they held him tightly splayed between the two poles in the center of the room, helpless tears falling down his face to join the rest of the water collected in the wading pool beneath him. He was so sore, so tired. Why couldn't he be allowed to sleep, to rest?_

_He had broken another rule again! He knew that. But which one? His sleep deprived brain couldn't remember why his master had slapped him, dragged him out of his room by his hair and left him tethered, standing in a wading pool underneath the dripping sprinkler for the entire night. Whatever he had done, it must have been really bad to be given the water chastisement! His master rarely used this as a punishment._

_More tears trickled from his eyes as he sensed, rather than saw, the people gathering at the windows for the entertainment. What was it they were so anxious to see this time? What else was going to be done to him? How much more pain was he going to have to endure before he finally remembered their strict rules? There were so many of them._

"_Oh Hikari…It seems as though you're in need of a little reminder. You have forgotten one of our rules again. My guests like a QUIET slave!" His master's gravelly voice sounded from somewhere behind him._

_Yugi's form stilled as he sensed the presence behind him, fresh tears leaking out of his eyes. He knew what he did now. He spoke out of turn. It was one of the cardinal sins here in The House. He forgot he must be given permission to speak. What a detail to forget!_

"_We are going to put on a show for the great people out there, you and I."_

_He heard the snap of leather as it sailed past his ear. Oh gods no! Please, anything but this! Another snap and the stinging leather wound around his damp, sensitized skin. Yugi screamed out in pain, writhing against the attack. He would never speak again if it kept him from having to endure this type of agonizing torture_

"_What were you told about needing permission to speak?" His master hissed as he struck again. "Remember this and your life will be a lot easier!"_

_Another snap and this time Yugi felt the searing pain on his buttocks. He just barely stifled the cry on his lips as he bit down, drawing blood, silently begging for mercy as he fought with the bonds that held him. The man continued to berate him for his mistakes as he let the leather sail. Calling him stupid, a useless whore._

_By the tenth snap of the whip, the small teen was sobbing wildly, using all of his power to keep his tears silent, begging within his mind for it to end. He understood what it was the man was trying to teach him before the leather had even grazed his delicate skin. But he couldn't give voice to his claims without further repercussions. He knew that now – and he would never forget it. Ever!_

"_You are so fucking hot when you're afraid of me! I just want to fuck you until you're raw!" His master whispered to him from a point just behind and above his ear, running the blunt handle of the whip over the tender abrasions before parting his cheeks and thrusting the tip inside of his raw entrance._

_Yugi hissed quietly at the intrusion, choking on his sobs, but made no audible reply. His master pushed the handle in deeper, moving it around, trying to provoke a clear response. After a few moments he gave up, preferring for the time to lightly tap the painful welts that crisscrossed the teen's buttocks with the side of the handle. When that didn't give him what he was looking for, the man unzipped his pants and stepped up behind him._

"_You are very beautiful and will make me a lot of money my little slave. But you need to remember that silence is golden. I think it's time for the real show to begin."_

_Yugi stifled another cry of mortified pain. Think of Ya…think of…? What was his name…oh gods it hurt! His body rebelled against his mind, taking humiliated gratification in what the man was doing to him. He didn't want to enjoy this!_

_But he was…in some weird, twisted way, he was. If he did this well enough it would all be over in a matter of minutes, like it was last night. Shivering, the small teen sagged against his bindings, glad to be finished. It hurt…so bad…oh gods it hurt!_

_If only he could have been with…? Who was it he was always dreaming about? He could picture the face, regal, gentle in his mind. But the name no longer passed his lips. Why couldn't he remember? Only in his dreams could he recall the cherished name. Tears rolled down his face._

"_One more round."_

_Yugi whimpered quietly as the object embedded inside of him hardened once again, doubling its size. He hurt so badly, why couldn't this just end? There may have been a time in the not so distant past where he would have shuddered at the very thought of someone using his body like this, but he could no longer recall that moment._

_He was what they had called him from the moment he passed through those doors. Did he come willingly? Was there anything left of his former life? Or had he been so desperate that he had been the one to seek this place out like they were telling him? Was he truly just another whore that had fallen on his luck? He couldn't remember now…who was he before he came here? Maybe it was just better to forget._

_The hurtful words and harsh phrases that were repeated to him every time that he found himself in this room were beginning to take a toll. Whatever had been of his former life was gone. And this was the way his new life was going to be, day in, day out from now on. And Yugi couldn't help but shed another tear at the disconsolate thought. He was a whore, a dirty slut who spread his thighs for any one of his master's guests who had a need to use his body. Would it ever stop hurting?_

"_ARGH!" The man came with another coarse cry._

_That was quick; the teen thought listlessly as tears rolled down his face, his body a mass of swelling pain. He would have to make sure that all his nights were as over as quickly as this. Yes it hurt, but at least it was over. And he could sleep, dream. He could find his dream lover's erotic form. Amethyst eyes closed slowly, their owner falling prey to the impending darkness…_

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	8. Chapter 8

Again, this is a reminder that this entire story is on the violent side and contains scenes (the ones in italics) that are not suitable for some people. You are warned off this story – do not bitch if you go on and don't like what you read. Yes it is heavily edited, but there are still parts of the scenes needed in order to understand why certain things happen in the present. I do not treat this matter lightly and I would ask the same of you. Thank you.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

45Days:

Atemu sat down on the bed with a sigh and gently raised Yugi's face to his. He knew he heard the little one's voice that first day. He knew it. But why wouldn't the boy talk? He had to get the boy to talk before the hospital would release him. That bastard of a psychiatrist ensured at least that much before he was relieved of his post two days ago.

"Aibou…why won't you talk to us? Please…speak to me little one." He whispered thickly.

…Somehow he said the magic word.

Yugi glanced fearfully up into the intense ruby gaze before looking down at the cast on his foot. "I...I didn't…have…per-miss-ion…mas-ter."

Atemu couldn't hold the tears back any longer. The moisture gathered in his eyes at the boy's hoarse, whispered comment, spilling over his lashes and down his face. Yugi thought he was his master? Oh gods, how…where did he…?

Yugi looked back up just in time to watch as those regal features fell at his whispered comment. Did he say something wrong? "S-sorry…"

Raising a trembling hand to the boy's face, Atemu brushed a strand of golden hair out of the way, his heart lurching when the younger teen twisted away from his touch. "I-I…am not your…master." He spit the word out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Yugi glanced tearfully around the silent room, anywhere but at those piercing scarlet eyes, noticing that the three other people were staring back at him in disbelief. What did he say? Did he do something wrong? Would he be punished for it by his real master?

If the gorgeous dark teen wasn't his master, then who was? And why did he feel a pang of regret at the knowledge that this handsome, commanding teen didn't own him.

The amethyst eyed teen lowered his face, large tear drops gathering at the corners of his eyes. He shouldn't be thinking that way. It wasn't up to him who his master was.

"Then…w-who…?" he whispered quietly.

Atemu couldn't stop himself. He snatched the little one up off the bed and planted him in his lap, holding tightly despite the fact that the boy was struggling against him. He couldn't let Yugi continue to think that he was nothing but a slave. No one had the right to own this beautiful boy. No one!

"You have no master little one…you never did…gods what did they do to you?" The former spirit's voice hitched and he found himself completely reduced to tears at the look of complete surprise in those wide amethyst eyes.

Yugi stopped struggling long enough for his dark half to get a good grip on him and wrap him up in strong, gentle arms. The small teen hesitated for a brief second before wrapping his arms around the other, welcoming the tender contact as he dissolved into tears.

"N-no…mas-ter?" Yugi exclaimed in his odd, slurred speech, shaking his head. "Al-always…had…master!"

His brain couldn't comprehend the thought. He had always had a master. Hadn't he? Maybe they were lying to him. Trying to trick him. To get him to start talking so that they could punish him. But looking back into those anguished rubies, he almost doubted it. The look in the other's eyes was sincere and truthful. Could he trust them?

"No little one…no master." Atemu repeated, his hands shaking in his rage. If he could get his hands on just one of those…as soon as his little one was taken care of – well there was no place in the world that those monsters would be able to hide. He would stamp out each and every last one of them!

Alex eased the two teens apart and questioned Yugi at length. The boy would always look to his darker twin before giving a response, but at least he answered. The more questions she asked, the clearer the picture of this boy's life became. And it wasn't a picture she wanted to see.

She could see how badly the darker teen was taking the news, his face had paled considerably and his hands were shaking with barely suppressed fury.

"Okay boys…Yugi needs his rest. Atemu, if I could see you outside for a moment before you go berserk." Lips pursed in concern she ordered the teens from the room.

The former ruler set the boy back down on the bed gently, covering him up with the blanket. He hated to leave his little one after that shock, but he needed to know what their doctor wanted. And he truly didn't want to let loose with what he was feeling at the moment. It would only frighten his Aibou further. Giving the little one a quick kiss to his forehead, Atemu turned and briskly followed the others out of the room.

Alex leaned up against the closed door after everyone had exited the room. She blew a strand of long hair out of her face with a sigh. "Well, that was definitely enlightening…the potential for his being kidnapped again just rose well above what I could ever have expected!"

"Why?" Atemu gazed at the shorter lady, not understanding. "Why would they come after him again?"

"Don't you realize? He's been trained…and very well at that. He didn't even start talking until you gave him permission to speak. I think the only life he remembers was the one that he lived for the past…how long was he missing? Almost two years? And he's been programmed to think that he's always had a master. Think of what they would have had to do to accomplish that! They could come after him again – take back what they believe was stolen from them."

"No one even knows he's back other than our group…oh gods!" Atemu's eyes widened considerably, the horror of what his little one had been put through as well as what could happen should he let down his guard dawning on him with painful clarity.

"And no one will." Seto finished with a growl.

The young CEO vowed to protect the tiny teen in the other room to the best of his ability. For, if it weren't for that small boy, he wouldn't have the one thing he wanted most in his life – Jou. He owed Yugi for that, and Atemu. And he would attempt to repay that debt starting now.

The blue eyed teen pulled his phone out of his pocket and began issuing orders to his men. He wanted this entire floor guarded by men dressed as loitering civilians. Now that they knew this wasn't just a simple case of grab and run brought about by one individual, they needed to be on guard against another attempt…

Hours later, Atemu sat with his little one in the darkened room, thinking back on what was said as he rocked the sobbing boy who had woken from a horrifying nightmare. How much longer before they would go away and leave his little one in peace? Every night since Yugi had woken from his coma he would wake up crying.

"Shhh…it's alright Aibou. No one's going to hurt you ever again…I'm here now." Atemu soothed, running his hand along the smooth, silky skin that the hospital gown refused to hide.

"N-no master…you're not…master…who…?" Yugi sobbed uncontrollably into the other's warm, muscular chest. "Want…you…my…master."

He wanted so badly for the darker teen to admit to owning him. He didn't want someone else to be able to take him away. If they took him away, then he would never be able to see those fiery, demanding scarlet eyes. And he wouldn't be able to feel safe and secure, held by those sturdy, gentle arms.

Another master would be able to hurt him, like whoever landed him here in the hospital. His…Atemu had already told him that he wasn't responsible. And Yugi believed him. The eyes told it all, the way those ruby jewels widened in an absolutely horrified expression as the moisture gathered at the corners. Why couldn't Atemu be his master? He was kind and handsome, and everything Yugi wanted.

"No master little one. Never again. It's over – you're free."

"Free…?" Those luminous amethyst eyes gazed up at him as if he didn't understand the word.

"Yes, free." Atemu repeated softly. "Sleep now Aibou. I'm here, you are safe."

"Not…free…want…you…please."

"Oh gods, you don't know what you are saying Aibou…please, sleep. We'll figure it out in the morning." Atemu's body began to overheat at the innocent – or not so innocent – words.

Yugi settled back down into the bed, facing the darker teen, letting the other play with his hair soothingly. He could almost believe what the other teen was saying - almost. But if he had no master, then why was he told that he did? Was he lied to from the beginning?

No, that was impossible. Every time he was punished it was for his own good. Because he did something wrong and needed to learn. It was for his own good, right?

Eventually the disconcerting thoughts changed into dreams and the two slept somewhat peacefully in each other's arms.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Day 52:

Atemu rushed around the Motou household, getting everything ready for his little one's return. Today was the day! And the house was a complete pigsty. Damn, if social services showed up now! He hadn't even thought to tidy up the house once in the last month.

But then again, he hadn't been here either. And there were more important things on his mind. Atemu ran through his list of lame excuses as he continued to pull the dirty laundry out from its various hiding places and stuff it into the basket.

His Aibou was coming home today! Any minute now and Bakura would be here to take him back to the hospital to fetch the boy. The darker teen had only come home a couple of hours ago to tidy up the mess that was their house, his excitement running high. Alex had told him to go, that she would take care of signing Yugi out.

He was never so glad to hear Bakura's offer of a ride. He really wasn't up to driving today. His mind was more on comforting his little one should the boy get upset during the ride home.

He wouldn't have accepted the ride, but for the fact that Yugi had really warmed up to the others once he realized that he could talk without fear of repercussions. It was amazing how fast the little one's speech improved once he had been given permission. Granted the small teen was still wary of Marik, but then again, who wouldn't be? The larger platinum blonde gave off such an aura of menace.

They would continue working on this whole slave/master attitude once they were home – safe. But first…clean. More clothing found its way into the basket and Atemu threw the full load out into the laundry room. The former Pharaoh was kind of upset that the elder Motou didn't know about his grandson's homecoming. But then again, what could Solomon do here? Nothing except worry himself into his grave.

That was why Lieren pushed so hard for him not to be told, for them to continue on their vacation, even though that would mean at least a year before their return. And he understood her reasoning. Seeing Yugi in this condition just might be the last straw. He didn't want Yugi's grandpa to die yet. Not when his grandson was so close to physical recovery.

Atemu wanted them to have a joyful reunion. One where Yugi would recognize his grandfather's weathered old face. One where they could hug each other and, for once, be happy. It didn't mean that he was pleased about keeping the truth from the elder Motou though. He was still far from it.

Atemu glanced over at the clock as he started water for the food encrusted dishes that lay out on the counter. He had about ten minutes left before Bakura would come knocking. Hopefully that was enough time to at least finish the month old dishes. Quickly he began scouring off the flaky food, splashing his shirt in the process.

"Son of a bitch!" He exclaimed, knowing there was no time to change.

The doorbell rang not long after the incident and he swore again as he fished around in the water for the drain. Finding it, he pulled up to let the water out of the sink as he flew out of the kitchen.

"Bakura…" He gasped as he opened the door. "You're early."

The white haired teen shrugged, passing the other to make himself at home on the couch. "I thought you might want to get a jump on bringing the midget home."

"Oh Bakura! Wasn't Ryou just warning you to be nice earlier?" Marik teased in a sing-song voice, following the other teen into the living room as Atemu closed the door, trying hard not to grin at his friends' behavior.

"Oh can it! I've had enough out of you today!" The white haired teen snapped, threatening to throw a pillow at his blonde friend. Marik chuckled again at the warning, before tackling the former thief and taking him to the floor.

"If you two are finished, I'd like to go pick up my Aibou now." Atemu came out of the hall closet with his boots in his hands, shaking his head at the pair rolling around on the living room floor like a couple of kids.

He was in the middle of pulling the boots on just as the others decided that it was time to leave, walking out the door to leave him racing out after them. This was it! His little one was coming home! And Seto had sent his men to guard their house for a while. Just to be sure that nothing happened.

As much as it struck at the former Pharaoh's self-esteem that he wasn't enough to protect the boy, he wasn't about to turn down the extra sets of eyes. There was no way he was losing track of his little one ever again, not even with the knowledge that he could track the boy through what remained of their link. It didn't matter. He would never leave Yugi in _their_ hands. Not even for a minute!

So help him, once Yugi recovered he would make their lives – and deaths – a painfully torturous hell!

The ride to the hospital was agonizingly slow and soon Atemu turned his morbid thoughts from their violent direction back to how he and Yugi would fill their days once they were home. He could never reveal his feelings now. Not after what had been done. That wouldn't be fair to the little one who was just beginning to trust him again.

But what if Yugi regained his memories? What then? Atemu's face paled at the thought. He shook his head. They would cross that road when they came to it.

"Out dumb ass!" Bakura yelled, yanking the door open for Atemu when he realized that the other was lost in his thoughts.

"Fuck you." The former ruler shot back, his comment causing Marik to start snickering again.

Grinning at the uncharacteristic response, the white haired teen led the way to the hospital. Atemu caught up quickly – passing the other two spirits in his haste to make it back to Yugi. A large grin plastered on his radiant face.

Bakura mused on the smaller teen's attitude. It was absolutely amazing the affect that finding his lost light had on the once broken teen. His face glowed with light, his skin looked darker, healthier, and he seemed to have put on some of the weight that he had lost in the past year or so.

The trio made their way up to the seventh floor, towards the private room where Yugi had been staying since he got out of ICU. Once they got there, Atemu practically ran into the room, unable to contain his excitement. It was very rare for the royal teen to let go like that, and the others shared a laugh at his expense. But he only flipped them off good-naturedly and continued on his way, screeching to a halt just inside the room.

"Where's Yugi?" He questioned the nurse that was tidying up the empty room.

"Excuse me?" She turned around and glanced at the trio of menacing looking teens.

"Where's. Yugi?" He repeated, gritting his teeth. Why wasn't his Aibou greeting him, ready to go?

"Oh…the boy who was here. He was signed out about a half hour ago." She replied with one last swipe of the disinfectant cloth, trying to ignore the scowls on the visitors' faces.

"By whom!" Atemu was becoming unreasonable very quickly. His little one should have been in this room, waiting for him! Who would dare?

"By doctor Johanssen. He was the attending physician." She shivered, recalling the doctor's sneering, superior tone when he told her that the room was available and needed cleaning.

"What happened to Alex?" Bakura snarled the question.

"She had an emergency on the cardiac floor." The nurse replied, trembling at the dark looks the teens were giving.

That answer was all it took for the trio to scatter, running back down the hallway and hitting the emergency stairs with murder in their eyes. Son of a bitch! He should have been nowhere near Yugi! Where were Seto's men on this? Why hadn't any of them stopped him? Were they already at the house?

"Atemu! This way damn it!" Bakura yanked him back towards the car when they got out to the parking lot. "You don't need the link to find him! I told you I would find out about that asshole for you! I know where he lives! I didn't think he was this bold though! Not after I warned him off!"

The three teens dove into the car and raced out of the parking lot. "He lives about ten minutes away from the hospital. I stole his file when everyone was busy tending to your attitude!"

Atemu nodded, grateful for his friend's assistance, but he only heard about half of what was said. Inwardly he was seething. Once again he failed to protect his Aibou. The one person who depended on him for his safety. Why did this seem to happen every single time he let his guard down, let himself dream of a world with his little one in it? Shadows slithered up and around his wrists as he imagined the damage he would do to the man responsible for this…

He was going to tear this man limb from limb. He should have done it the first time. But other issues took up his attention not long after their encounter and he didn't exactly forget the incident, but thought it over for the time being – that he could deal with it after Yugi was well again.

How could he have been so I? He should have kept watch. Should have known! But he had been so happy with thoughts of having Yugi back at home…

The trio of enraged teens arrived at the pretentious, gate guarded house in a matter of minutes. A blast of shadows ensured their entry to the grounds. They made their way through the shorter route of grass up to the front of the house, the car leaving deep ruts in the well-manicured lawn as it came to an abrupt halt. Quickly, the three of them exited the car to run to the front of the wraparound porch.

Atemu was the first one to the top of the steps. He kicked in the expensive door, shards of glass exploding out from the damaged barrier as it caved, free of its hinges, to fall harmlessly to the living room floor. Bakura and Marik cringed at the outpouring of rage. Atemu pissed off almost made them both look sane.

The former ruler paused only once to search mentally for the small teen's whereabouts before darting towards the stairs.

"Upstairs!" Atemu shouted as he took the wide stairs two by two.

He was depending solely on the slight link between him and his Aibou now. He could sense the boy's fear and shame – the feeling coming on with more power the closer he got. As he sprinted down the hallway, his footsteps muffled by the thick carpet, he found the room he was searching for. This was where the feelings were coming from. This was where they were strongest.

Without waiting for the others, he planted a foot in the middle of the door and launched it off its hinges. What he saw made his jaw drop in shock. His little one was nude, kneeling by the bed, his slender profile standing out against the window, the cast on his leg his only cover.

And that man – Johanssen – had his bulging manhood in his hands, guiding it towards the boy's open mouth.

Obviously neither of them had heard the darkness' entry. Both Yugi and his captor jumped at the loud crash as the door hit the floor hard, their gaze darting to the entryway. Deep red humiliation seared across the small teen's carefully blank features when he noticed Atemu's presence. Yugi dropped his amethyst gaze to the floor in shame, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

The former Pharaoh turned his infuriated scarlet glare towards the boy's tormentor. The look on the man's face at being caught with his pants down would have been comical under other circumstances. Right now it just fed Atemu's growing rage.

That was it! The rest of the former Pharaoh's control snapped with a forceful _crack_! "You have trespassed on my soul and that of my Aibou's…you will now pay the penalty! Come on asshole…" He hissed, stalking towards the guilty man. "Play a game with me!"

Both Bakura and Marik heard the menacing words as they echoed out of the room and down the hall. Cackling with glee, they dashed down the corridor, skidding to a stop just outside of the damaged room. Black shadowy tendrils wound their way around the former Pharaoh's slender form and outward, blocking all light and their view of what was taking place inside.

Bakura turned to his partner. "Should we at least take the midget out of there?"

Marik nodded only once before braving his way through the thick shadows to find the smallest light. Atemu was beyond control, so he didn't even bother to call out, to try and find him. Besides, the asshole that he was handing judgment to deserved every last bit of it.

It took a few minutes of searching but the platinum blonde finally made his way over to where the boy was shivering and crying softly. He picked the child up and carried him out of the room, snagging a sheet to cover him with on his way out of the room.

The blonde's last thought as he crossed the shadow's threshold was that looked painful…

Atemu smirked evilly at the man who had just lost the penalty game. He stepped back to watch intently as pitch black, shadow-like figures slid upward from underneath the man's silhouette, chattering madly as they surrounded his kneeling, beaten form.

The blackened forms forced the man's quaking hand to pick up the knife that he had carelessly left on the table after disposing of the boy's hospital gown, oblivious to his sobbing pleas.

A high pitched shriek was heard throughout the house as the first cut was made. A tiny hole in the skin and the quivering fist that held the weapon so tightly slid the knife inside the hole, widening it – a portion of the blackness slipping inside the wound to rip it even further. Then another shadow enclosed hand joined in, pulling on the now loose flap of skin, more shadows sliding into the gaping wound to wreak havoc from within.

Atemu watched the proceedings with a morbid fascination. Even in his days as a spirit he had never witnessed the blackness of someone's soul as it literally devoured the person's body. The sight was sickening, as the babbling, shapeless forms forced the man to continue peeling strips of skin from his limp member like one would peel a hot dog, more blackness slipping inside to inflict further damage to the man's mortal body.

Another terrified screech was heard as the skin came apart with a wet squelching sound, tearing it free from the useless muscle that it once adhered to. A tiny drop of blood hit the former Pharaoh's boot and a look of disgust briefly crossed his stoic features.

But the former ruler intended to watch the entire proceedings. To serve as witness to the man's demise. It was his duty, his right as Yugi's darker half. From the first cut, right up until the last useless appendage was severed from the would-be rapist's body. This would be to the death, instead of madness like the others. This man had a lot to atone for.

Atemu watched, disinterested, as more skin and flesh met with the knife, with the devouring blackness. This man deserved it for daring to touch his Aibou without permission. He was the lowest scum on this earth, and he and those of his ilk deserved nothing more than to be hunted down and disposed of like the rubbish they were.

And by the time he was finished with them…There would be no mercy!

"Atemu…come on man. Stand down. You don't need to watch this." Bakura called, stepping foot into the darkened, shadow covered room.

All the former thief could see through the inky blackness was the doctor's shivering form as it continued to shred chunks of skin and flesh, tossing them to the side. But he knew better than that. There was more going on than what he could see with his eyes. Atemu had volunteered to witness and he was the only one who knew the truth.

And right now it was like his friend had zoned out. He wasn't answering, just standing there zombie-like, staring at the bloody, shrieking pulp that used to resemble a human being. The proceedings were more than half way finished and yet Atemu refused to move.

"Mother fucker!" The white haired thief snarled as he made his way through the thick shadows until he stood by the Pharaoh's side. "This isn't good for you, you know. You never were truly dark like Marik and I. And besides, your midget is starting to freak out, so you need to tend to him. I will finish."

Bakura swore he never saw Atemu move so fast in his life. One minute the royal teen was standing beside him, the next he vanished in a cloud of swirling shadows. Good, the other needed to comfort his little one more than he needed to see the end of this. It was almost finished anyhow.

Bakura stood tall and straight, mesmerized as he witnessed the final moments. As blackness in the man's soul tore his corporeal presence to shreds. There was a loud, wet – almost muffled sound and the tattered body split in two, the man's spirit landing across the room from his remains that lay silent and still.

Bakura's eyes widened as he caught sight of the shrieking, spitting forms of blackness as they slunk away from the lifeless flesh, going after the newly dead soul. The man saw them too. He started screaming, begging for help. His eyes pleaded to the white haired thief to help him.

Bakura turned his head, refusing to acknowledge. It was too late anyways, the withered, shapeless forms converged on newly deceased man and dragged him away from Bakura and out of the human realm completely as he kicked and screamed and begged for release from their torment.

The former thief grimaced. Well, that was new. Never before had he witnessed the sight of a person's evil deeds as they demolished their own physical presence. Shuddering, the white haired teen walked out of the room and away from the gory sight. The others were probably anxious to get out of here, as was he.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	9. Chapter 9

ATTENTION!: Once again – heavily edited, but if you're at all squeamish please do not read below the italics. They are being used for a reason, and past the point of warning you I am not responsible for the burning of your eyes.

~ o ~ O ~ o

Yugi burrowed back against the cushions of the couch where he had been deposited not long after the door was shut, watching tearfully as the three darker teens argued and debated. He heard words like shadows and police and wondered why they were so upset if it wasn't directed at him. What exactly happened earlier, when they had come for him?

He couldn't remember much past his master's…the other's enraged face when he broke down the door. Hadn't the ruby eyed teen said earlier that he was not his master? His actions seemed very possessive for someone who only had a passing interest in him. Very possessive indeed. Would he be punished for the indiscretion?

"Did he touch you some place you didn't want, take something that didn't belong to him?" Atemu's gentle face suddenly took up his vision, touching his cheek softly. "Aibou…did he hurt you"

Yugi blinked up at the other teen curiously. "N-no…he…he didn't hurt…me. Why…Aibou…why do…you call me…that?"

The small teen really wanted to know why the other was referring to him in that manner. It was a question that had been on his mind for a long time. The scene from earlier already far from his mind. It wasn't as if that hadn't happened before. And this time his kind mast…Atemu had stopped it before it had gone that far. So, in his mind what had happened earlier wasn't even an issue.

Unless it was an issue for his…Atemu. Then he had a problem.

Atemu looked hurt at the question, his ruby eyes cast downward as he explained. "You are my partner, little one. You have always been. I'm sorry I haven't been able to protect you, again. This was my fault."

Yugi practically breathed a sigh of relief when there were no immediate whispered words of reprimand. But he was curious as to the nature of their supposed relationship.

"Partner…as in…we…?"

"Oh gods no!" Atemu practically shouted, his face reddening at the mere thought. Softening his voice as Yugi closed his eyes in fright, he continued. "No little one…we've never been, ah…I am your protector. Or at least I am supposed to be. I haven't been doing a very good job of it. I'm sorry."

"Oh." Amethyst eyes cracked open slightly.

There was a wealth of meaning behind that word. And Atemu couldn't quite grasp it all. But for now he would let it slide. He shook his head, smiling fondly at the boy as he got up from the couch. The other two were leaving, so he should see them out before helping to acquaint Yugi with this _new_ environment.

"It's okay." A small hand touched his and he turned to study his little one's serious features.

No…it wasn't okay. But it would be. The former spirit had to admit that he was a little disappointed that just coming home did not seem to spark any of Yugi's memories, but he was told it would take some time, so he tried not to be too upset. This would all take some time to get used to. Atemu set a gentle hand to the side of the boy's face, reassuring him momentarily before turning his attention to Bakura and Marik.

"…We'll change the nurse's memories around a little. Maybe get a peek at the sign out sheet. But as for the damage done on the property…I don't think we can fix that. At least we didn't touch anything with our hands." Bakura listed off potential problems as he and Marik made their way to the door.

"Let them think what they want." Atemu shrugged. "I don't give a shit. And since when do you?"

The white haired thief grinned back at him. "I don't…I just thought maybe you did. But since you don't…" He shrugged back, before turning and walking away with a smirk.

"Is this the way we are going to deal with the rest of the trash? Marik commented idly.

Atemu nodded, sensing more than seeing the smirks present on the gruesome twosome's faces. "I doubt they will all be exactly as that, but close. That man had a lot of evil to atone for."

"So do the others." Bakura snickered, opening the door. "You will share of course?"

"No doubt." Atemu inclined his head.

"We will see you this weekend Pharaoh." Marik said as he walked out the door behind his partner in crime. "You need some time alone with your light. Let us know when it is time."

"That I do Marik…that I do. And I will." Atemu stated as he shut the door behind his friends.

As he made his way back into the living room, he noticed that his Aibou still had a look of fear on his delicate features. "Aibou, what's wrong?"

"No Aibou…I want you…my master. No one…can take me. Safer." Yugi sobbed quietly, covering his face.

"Oh little one. No one can take you from me. I will not allow it." He reached out and drew the boy's shivering form into his arms. "No one."

"That makes you master." Yugi said resolutely.

Atemu put a shaky hand against the smaller teen's face before pulling the teen into his lap. "We'll talk about it later, okay. You need to rest – it has been a long day."

Yugi nodded obediently before tucking his head against the other's shoulder. He felt so safe, so warm in the other teen's strong embrace. If the other said that no one could take him away, then he believed him. Then that made this other teen his master. His beautiful, courageous master. Only his.

Atemu waited until the boy's breathing evened out in sleep. And then he carried him up the stairs and into their room. Laying his little one down on the bed, he pushed a stray lock of blonde hair out of the boy's face, wishing fervently that the nightmares would leave off for a while and let Yugi sleep in peace. But he really doubted that was going to happen any time soon.

The former Pharaoh took up post on his own bed, sitting back and watching the boy's peaceful face as he slept. This night had been a long time in coming and he wasn't going to let it go that easily.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_The Day of Solomon's Heart Attack:_

_Yugi looked up unhappily from the small paperback he was perusing as soon as the intercom beeped twice in his room. That was his signal to be ready for his master's guest. He slid off the bed and deposited the book underneath, thanking the gods that he had already taken a shower and rid his body of the impurities like he was supposed to. His master would not be happy with him if he wasn't clean inside and out. Then he would pay for it._

_He supposed he should be thankful that his master graciously allowed him and the other slaves' a little time to themselves each day. That the guests only took up their evenings and sometimes a couple of hours in the afternoon. After all, none of his master's guests wanted a used slave for a companion. They all expected, and paid for perfection._

_And he was grateful - even though the punishments for minor infractions sometimes seemed almost cruel to him. His life could have been so much worse. He could have had a truly brutal, demanding master. His master reminded him of that every couple of days when he was summoned to the man's chambers for their 'play-time'._

_He dressed quickly into a pair of Velcro sided, skin tight white leather pants, sliding the small hoop earrings into his ears as he fumbled around the room looking for the rest of his rings and belts. The belly button ring was on the table where he left it, his eyebrow ring was not. There it was, on the floor. He knew he should have left off with his reading over an hour ago. If he wasn't finished dressing by the time his master's guest entered the room his night wouldn't end well._

_It was a clear rule around the House that all slaves needed to be groomed and ready to go by the time that six o'clock rolled around. Just in case there were early arrivals. And it was just his luck that he happened to get one tonight when he was so caught up in one of the few books that were (smuggled in) allowed in The House. Well, maybe an early start meant an early end to the evening. He just wanted to get this done and over with, so he could get back to his book – and his dreams._

_At least he was not going to be summoned to The Room this time. Many of his master's guests that liked that sort of play. Yugi gingerly rubbed his fingers over the welts on his thighs. His body shuddered deeply with the memories of the night before. The man who had requested him for the night definitely found the many toys in that room to his liking. He was still extremely tender from the three hour ordeal._

_The door to his room unlocked to open with a click, surprising the petite teen, and a thin, lanky man with a bald patch on his head smiled at him creepily. Great! Senator Goodman, of all people. A delicate shiver ran down the length of his slim body at the unwelcome thought. He had thought this was going to be an easy night. Now he knew better._

_This man just loved to torment and tease – to prolong the experience. And he had a bit of a sadistic streak to top it off. But at least he liked to keep that streak private, rather than let everyone witness it from the glass walls of The Room._

_Sighing, the small teen prostrated himself before the other man. He was going to be really sore after tonight. This man had an obsession with his ass. He loved to pull him face down on his lap and do his best to make sure that Yugi was sobbing pitifully by the time he was finished – something that he succeeded at rather well too._

_Oh well, there was nothing to be done for it other than take it. He was a bred to be a whore; he should be used to this by now. He should be happy that he was sexy enough to make his master the amount of money that he did. And he did make the man a lot of money. His master told him that every time he fucked him._

"_Oh Hikari…why aren't you in position?" The senator called to him in a singsong voice from where he had settled himself on the bed. _

_Damn it! Daydreaming again! This was so going to get him disciplined on top of what he was going to go through tonight. Wiping an errant tear from his face, the small teen got up and tugged on the Velcro that held his pants together, allowing the material to fall away and expose his slender, faultless nude form. It was going to be a long night. He just hoped his ass was up to the abuse._

_He kept his eyes demurely lowered to the floor, his face carefully blank, hands clasped in front of him, as if waiting for something, urging the older man to remember. This one knew the rules as well as he did._

"_Yes, yes, you may speak tonight. Now come over here and assume the position" The man patted his lap with an eager leer._

_Yugi lay down obediently, draped over the man's lap, offering his bare bottom for the other's perusal. He could almost feel the man's lust spike intensely. He wriggled his hips, his slender backside becoming the man's sole focus_

_The first strike came down, leaving a fiery red hand print in its wake. "Ooh, you're already nice and red tonight. Have you been a naughty boy again Hikari? Do you need a strong man to discipline you? Tell me…tell me all your wicked secrets."_

_The hand made its way painfully to his rear end again. The small teen hissed as a long, gnarled, dry finger invaded his body, he clamped down forcefully around it, allowing it to pull and prod at his tender insides, even though it hurt him to do it._

"_Yes…I've been naughty. I need you to punish me." He intoned obediently._

"_Tell me then…what have you done my disobedient little Hikari? And I'll tell you the reprimand you've earned." The punishing hand came back again, stinging his bottom fiercely._

_The small teen sniffed quietly, slipping into his role with a practiced ease as he haltingly counted off a list of imaginary crimes, earning a hard slap for each sin. Damn, he really hated this, but this was what earned his master the big bucks and kept him in reading material (or rather dream material) – all the people requesting him for the night._

_Once again the sound of flesh meeting bare flesh echoed around the room. Yugi bit his lip to keep from crying out loud. And then the probing finger drove back inside of his tender body - a couple of others joining along with it as it pushed roughly inside of him._

_He spread his legs a little wider as they unintentionally touched that tender spot buried deep within his body, sighing softly. It was almost over. He knew this from experience; this man was a repeat guest who had requested him time and time again. The man could only handle so much before he was out like a light, snoring in his bed._

"_You have the most sinful, sexy ass I have ever seen. When I'm done administering your punishment I'm going to give you what you need. I'm going to fill that empty hole…but first. You really have been a naughty boy…"_

_Again and again the hand came crashing down on his sore bottom. By the time the experience was over, Yugi was left shaking and sobbing in the man's grasp. And that was before he felt the familiar feeling of one of his many toys as it penetrated his lower body._

"_Hmmm. So tight, so ready for me. Let me loosen you up a little…."_

_He hissed, shifting uncomfortably as the slick instrument was embedded fully within him. And then he cried out blindly as it found his prostate. Damn this man was looking to give his senses a permanent overload tonight wasn't he? This alternating pain and pleasure. He had long ago given up on controlling his body's responses to the stimuli, it was useless. Now he just rode with it as wave after wave of tormenting pleasure crashed against his senses._

_Thank god his master was paid by the night, not the hour. He usually only had to open his mouth or spread his legs once before he was left to his own devices. Only occasionally was one of his master's guests able to go for a second round._

_The man finally tired of the play, tossing the toy aside. He pushed the startled teen off his lap. "I want you to suck me Hikari…make me feel the way you did last time. If you do a good enough job I'll fuck you long and hard, just like you like it."_

_Yugi crawled back over to the man on his hands and knees, the sexy smirk on his face not quite reaching his blank amethyst eyes. Good, maybe he wouldn't even have to spread his thighs for this one. Senator Goodman wasn't known for his endurance. But lately neither were any of his other regulars. Perhaps he was getting better at his job. More often than not he was left with time to himself after servicing one of his master's guests._

_As he reached up to unzip the pants that were in his way, he lost himself in his usual day dream of him and someone that he might have once cared about very much. The face was fuzzy now, the name nonexistent, but he still lost himself in the dream that it was his faceless crush – and not this man – who was receiving his attentions._

_Why couldn't he remember what his life had been like before…?_

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	10. Chapter 10

An extra-long chapter since I left this scene off of the other one (and couldn't figure out what was wrong). And yes there is a lemon in this one – but no worries, it's harmless. XD

~ o ~ O ~ o

Day 77:

"Aibou…what was that?"

Atemu went flying out of the bathroom - where he had been putting away the clean towels - the moment he heard the tinkling sounds of breaking glass and dashed down the stairs. The slender teen vaulted over the newly repositioned couch and down the hall to come to a screeching halt just inside the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" He asked breathlessly as he surveyed the normally immaculate room. He could feel remorse and fear dribbling down the barely existent link as he took in the scene before him.

There was broken glass everywhere. And standing in the middle of it all was his Aibou, a guilty, petrified look reflecting off his delicate features. As soon as the boy spotted him in the room, he dropped his crutches and prostrated himself amidst the shards of glass, trembling fiercely as he awaited his punishment.

"Aibou NO!" Atemu yelled as he ran into the wreckage, heedless of the sharp glass, to where his little one was kneeling on the floor. "Come on; let's get you out of here."

Damn and here he thought his little one had been doing so good…

He picked the boy up into his arms and carried him out of the middle of the broken glass. The royal teen hissed sharply, taking a clumsy side step as he felt the sharp sliver of glass cut through his thick sock and into his foot. Damn that hurt!

At the edge of the kitchen Atemu stopped, shifting his shivering burden into his other arm, and carefully peeled the glass covered socks off his feet, throwing them back towards the mess that littered the floor. He could still feel the one sliver in his foot, but at least that was the only one he got. How had his Aibou fared?

The dark teen glanced down to see that the boy's pajama bottoms were covered in tiny shards of glass. "Aibou…these, ah, have to come off. Can you stand?"

Yugi looked back at him tearfully, nodding. He knew what was coming. And he deserved it. He set his unencumbered foot down on the ground, taking in a sharp breath as one of the slivers buried in his bare foot came in contact with the hard wood. The petite teen shifted his weight over to his casted leg, hoping that it would take it. He just wanted to get this over with – whatever it was that his...Atemu was going to do.

"Ah, damn. Just hold still for a moment and I'll get you off that foot. You should have said something." Atemu quietly admonished the younger teen as he began to peel the soft fabric from his body, immediately realizing what his discomfort was.

Dark hands froze the instant they came into contact with soft, pale skin rather than the underwear he was expecting. Shit! The little one wasn't wearing anything underneath his pajamas! Sexually charged images raced through Atemu's mind before he could stop them. The former Pharaoh groaned mentally, a light dusting of red fanning out across his cheeks.

His body reacted instantly to the feeling of the warm, soft skin beneath his fingertips, his breath quickening, his heart beating erratically in his chest. But he continued to strip the cloth from the boy's body, leaving him bare from the waist down. Once the glass encrusted cloth was free of the small form Atemu brushed his hands gently over the boy's slender legs, looking for any glass that would have pierced the skin. Swallowing thickly, he looked back up into heartbroken amethyst eyes.

"Shhh. I'm going to set you on the couch. Don't move." Atemu picked Yugi up into his arms and limped his way back into the living room.

Once he was assured the little one was somewhat comfortable, the darker teen hobbled quickly out of the room, looking for tweezers, a wash cloth and some hydrogen peroxide. Oh yeah, and a towel! His senses were on overload ever since he found out what was (or rather wasn't) hidden directly beneath those starry pajama bottoms.

He needed to put a barrier between himself and the temptation that was his Aibou before he succumbed to his raging hormones.

After gathering his findings into his arms, the former Pharaoh made his way painfully back out into the living room and over to the couch. He scooped the younger teen back up into his arms and wrapped the towel around his lower half before setting the boy back against the cushions and taking his bare foot into his hands.

"This will hurt a little bit Aibou. Are you ready?" He questioned, ruby eyes seeking and finding terrified amethyst. He gave the boy's hand a reassuring squeeze before setting the tweezers against the damaged skin and searching for the sliver of glass that was embedded within.

Yugi twitched uncomfortably as the cold metal prodded at his sensitive foot. But he didn't say anything out loud. He knew better than to give voice to his pain - that would only prolong the punishment. But why was his…Atemu being so gentle with him? Especially when it was his clumsiness that caused the other pain. He breathed a temporary sigh of relief as the first splinter was removed, the probing metal going back for another one.

He squirmed on the couch, guiltily, as he waited for the darker teen to finish probing his foot for more glass. Once the other was finished, those gentle, calloused hands wandered the length of his legs, searching for any other injuries. The small teen's body stirred to life at the tender touch; almost wanting more…

The darker teen was always so gentle, almost loving whenever he touched him. But there was a hesitancy now that wasn't there before. And it worried Yugi to no end. He really screwed up this time.

"All finished Aibou." Atemu whispered as he carefully set the peroxide soaked towel up against the bleeding, injured extremity. "Hold that while I deal with my problem."

"I'm sorry…" Tears ran down the small teen's face as he whispered the apology.

Yugi sniffled as he took the cold, wet cloth from the other's hands. He always screwed up. It was the reason his former master constantly disciplined him. But he couldn't help it right now. Half the time his body wouldn't obey his brain's commands, even with the grueling therapy he was going through.

What type of reprimand had he earned for this mistake? His…Atemu had never raised a hand against him before, even when he deserved it. Most likely it would be a spanking; he couldn't see the other breaking out a cane or a whip. But that was so humiliating. Oh well, he deserved whatever…Atemu decided to mete out.

He watched nervously as the other teen began to work on loosening the glass from his own foot. With a soft sigh, the darker teen yanked the shard free and set it into the bowl on the table along with the other slivers.

"You're fine…it was an accident." Atemu replied softly.

Atemu made to put his foot down on the floor and Yugi pulled it up into his lap, taking the cloth in his hands and setting it against the tiny wound, drawing back for a moment at the shudder that ran through the other's body.

This act would not make up for his earlier clumsiness, but he hated to see his…Atemu in pain. He knew the other hated it when he referred to him as master, but it was so hard not to think of him as just that. With Atemu as his master he felt safe, protected. The darker teen had been nothing but gentle with him ever since they left the hospital. And it was truly more than he deserved – especially when his actions resulted in this.

"I am fine little one. Right now I need to clean up the mess in the other room." Atemu pulled the small hand gently away from his foot, blushing to the roots of his tricolor hair.

This was getting ridiculous! He couldn't even be near his little one without the simplest touch affecting his body in a sexual way. But he really didn't want to leave the boy alone for even a minute. His little one seemed to have a knack for getting himself into sticky situations. He had ever since they got home.

Well, there was nothing else to be done for it. Atemu reached over to pull the boy into his arms, thinking to carry him into the kitchen and set him down at the table so he could keep an eye on him while he cleaned.

The shivering amethyst eyed teen knew immediately why the other was reaching for him. After all it was his actions that had resulted in his…Atemu being hurt. Shakily he discarded his last line of defense – his towel – and crawled facedown onto the darker teen's lap. If he was good this would all be over with soon and they could go back to being friendly to each other. And he wanted that more than anything. He hated it that his…Atemu would freeze up whenever they touched.

Atemu sucked in a breath, his eyes widening in shock - his hand accidentally coming to rest against the warm, inviting flesh of the other's bared behind. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his overheated face as he sat frozen in horror. This was not happening!

Finally the dark teen pulled his hand away as if scorched. The touch burned! His heart pounded loudly in his chest, reminding him with every wild beat of the vulnerable position that his little one was in. It would be so easy to…to take advantage…No! He couldn't think like that! This was his Aibou, his light!

Yugi glanced up at the darker teen from where he was bracing his hands against the sides of the couch. Why was the other so still? He could feel the calloused hand as it rested stiffly against his rear, creating a patch of heat where it touched. And then it was gone. He cringed in anticipation of the fiery pain that soon would follow…And then he cracked open an eye, staring back at the other in surprise when the hand didn't return.

"Mas…Atemu?" He questioned fearfully.

"Ai…Aibou, wha…?" Atemu pulled the smaller teen from the humiliating position, wrapping him up in his arms. Tears streaming down his face. "No little one…no, no, no! It was an accident! An accident!"

Yugi sniffed as he looked up into the agonized scarlet gaze, his world crashing down around him. An accident? But how could that be? He was the one who caused the vase to shatter by bumping it as he reached for the plate on the second shelf. And he was the one who dropped the plate along with it, making even more of a mess. He should be punished for his clumsiness!

"My fault…I-I need to b-be punished." He whispered tearfully.

"No Aibou…no punishment – ever! Shit happens…constantly. You stay here; I'll return in a moment." Atemu set Yugi's half naked form back on the couch and raced out of the room in search of some pants that would fit over the boy's unsightly cast. He needed to get away from the tempting sight that was his Aibou.

The former monarch returned to the living room to find that his little one had curled up into a ball in the corner of the couch, sobbing quietly. The sight tore at his heart. He tenderly brushed the tears away from the smooth, pale skin, looking deep into disconsolate amethyst eyes.

Had his refusal to punish the boy caused this upset? If so, he needed to take the other's mind off of it. Distract him somehow until he was able to think this through. Yugi couldn't go through life thinking he deserved to be punished for every little mistake.

"What were you doing in the kitchen Aibou?" He questioned gently. "Are you hungry?"

Yugi nodded hesitantly, at first refusing to look up from the small hands that were wrapped around his knees. He shivered at the tender touch, his eyes finally meeting with the other's burning rubies. Atemu helped him to pull the pants up over his legs and picked him up to cradle him against his chest.

Yugi wrapped his arms around the taller teen, sniffling piteously. He felt so guilty. This was all his fault. But if so, than why hadn't he been punished? Why was…Atemu still treating him so kindly? How could the darker teen not be angry with him after what he had done? He would gladly take his punishment if it meant that they could remain on friendly terms…

Atemu made his way into the kitchen, stopping only to toe on a pair of old tennis shoes in the hall. He set Yugi down at the table and proceeded to clean up the mess on the floor. Periodically he would glance over at Yugi's tense form, watching as the emotions shifted across those expressive eyes. A myriad of confused feelings drifted down to his side of the link.

He had thrown the boy for a loop with his refusal to chastise him. Good, maybe the little one would start to realize that he was not a slave to anyone else's designs. Everyone made mistakes. There was not one person alive who didn't.

Once all the broken glass was deposited into the garbage, Atemu began pulling down ingredients for pancakes. He recalled how much his little one used to love them. Yugi watched his every move intently from the corner of the room, his eyes widening at the sight of the pile of stuff as it grew on the counter.

He grinned. "I'm making breakfast for lunch…pancakes, would you like some?"

The smaller teen shook his head wildly. Pancakes, the word made his stomach growl with need. He hadn't had those since…He blinked, where did that thought go? He looked up hungrily as Atemu started preparing their meal. The smell of something good soon floated around the room, making his stomach rumble.

After he was finished Atemu set a plate down in front of each of their places. Both plates were piled high with pancakes, homemade hash browns and sausage patties. Yugi looked back at him as if to make sure it was okay to eat. Once he was sure he had permission, the smaller teen dug in to the fare, taking two gigantic bites to every bite that Atemu managed to eat.

The former spirit eventually sat back and watched the younger teen eat. It was almost as if the boy were afraid that he wouldn't get enough to eat. Had whoever kidnapped him starved him as well as tortured him? The questions began to pile up in the darker teen's mind.

If he ever found out who was responsible…well, the sight would not be pretty. But first he needed to undo all that his little one had _learned_ at those people's hands. It would take some time, but he would do it! Somehow.

When Yugi finished his meal first, Atemu slid his plate over in front of the boy, urging him to eat his fill. He had seen his little one clean his plate at the hospital, but there was never anything else to be had, so he wondered if Yugi could have still been hungry, just afraid to mention it.

But the little one would not touch his food. "Aibou…if you are still hungry – eat. I'm finished."

Yugi glanced up at him once, nervously debating for almost a full minute before finally reaching out to spear a sausage. When he realized that there were no consequences, the small teen ate the rest of what was on the plate, before slouching back in his chair and covering a satisfied burp with his hand.

Atemu smiled at the graceless sound.

Just for a moment, he had his Aibou back. And even though there was so much to be done today, he intended on enjoying this while it lasted. The new doors and alarm system that he had set up to be installed today could wait. All the cleaning could wait. The physical therapy appointment could as well. His little one needed this moment of normal.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

…_Yugi gasped as the thick shaft pierced him from behind, sliding effortlessly up inside his opening to fill him so thoroughly with its throbbing presence, his body arching back against the person behind him in want. He lowered his head to rest against the cool sheets, closing his eyes with a whispered moan._

_A slender hand caressed his hip softly, urging him to go along with the other's slow, deliberate motions. Gentle words of praise issued from supple lips as they skimmed across his neck, leaving goose bumps wherever they touched. He could listen to that smooth, entrancing voice all day long. The near silent whispers sent chills down his spine._

_He didn't want to know who it was, he didn't care anymore. It didn't matter who he was supposed to be pleasing. He had his dreams and he wasn't going to let them go. A lone tear fell from amethyst eyes to dampen the sheets below._

_A shift of the other's damp, sweaty body - and the length that was filling him so deliciously broke free of his form only to impale him yet again, creating that wondrous sensation that left him begging softly for more. The talented hand found its way underneath him to fondle his growing member tenderly. Hmmmm. This was different. He cried out breathily at the added stimulus._

_He shifted eagerly against the throbbing presence, spreading his legs a little wider, arching his back and welcoming the other deeper inside of him as he squeezed tightly with his body. The person behind him sighed softly against his ear, filling him once again. The warm breath of air caused him to tremble as it skated across his skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps over his heated flesh. A second hand wandered over his chest to rub at the tiny ring that pierced through his left nipple._

_Another jolt of pleasure rocked his shivering frame._

_In his mind he could clearly picture those piercing scarlet eyes as they wandered along his body, leaving him breathless and light headed with their intensity. He wouldn't turn around and look, and risk losing his tenuous hold on the dream. Stubbornly he closed his eyes._

_He felt the petal soft lips as they moved across his back, whispering words of praise, the large shaft thrusting gently inside of him, searching for and finding that special place that left him incapable of thought. He pressed back, once again drawing the other deep inside, needing to feel the delicious friction once again._

_His fists tightened in the sheets as the form behind him gave him what he wanted, what he needed, speeding up the gentle rocking motions - snapping out of him only to penetrate him once more with a ferocious thrust. He cried out again, toes curling, as the jolt of pleasure overloaded his senses._

_A soft gasp escaped his lips at the forceful, blinding pleasure - his prostate being nailed unerringly, over and over again, this person above him obviously more intent on pleasuring him than only taking what he had to give._

_He writhed against the larger presence, overcome with sudden desire to know who it was that was loving him so leisurely, so painstakingly. No one had ever been this generous before, their own gratification first and foremost in their mind._

_The lines of reality blurred as the small teen hung on for dear life to the mental picture of those alluring scarlet eyes – the one who should have been his lover. This was the one who was taking him, the one who was pounding away so deeply inside of his body, making him cry out in need. This was the person behind him, whispering soft words of praise into his ear, touching him so softly, so tenderly._

_What had once started as a gentle rocking motion had become a fevered pounding and the smaller teen couldn't help but cry out loudly again and again as his prostate was struck repeatedly by the hard, pulsing flesh embedded within his shivering form._

_He couldn't help it, he had to look…He had to know who would love him so meticulously. To tease and torment him with these intense, pleasurable sensations. He knew who he wanted it to be, his dream lover's image and name just beyond the reach of his brain. Only the eyes remained, their piercing scarlet shade forever etched in his mind._

_Slowly his head turned, amethyst eyes widening in shock as they met with…_

…_the stunning ruby eyes of his dream lover…_

"_Yami…" He began to sob as the other continued to thrust even deeper, bringing him closer to the edge. Knowing it was just a dream – knowing that the other couldn't truly be here._

_Those sensual full lips parted in reply, but a deep, shuddering cough was his only answer…_

_Huh?_

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Day 133:

Yugi bolted upright from his sleep, his dream lover's name still soft on his lips, heart pounding in his chest. Yami…Wow, what a…what a dream! Lately his nightmares had begun to fall prey to these new intensely sensual visions. But this was the first time that he had actually turned to see his dream lover's face. He knew it wasn't a memory, but it seemed so real, so lifelike – so intense.

The small teen shivered. Even though he was only slightly awake his body was still reeling from the after effects of such an erotic musing. His body was used to having sex, but to invent something so…so realistic in its absence. He would almost believe it had happened had he not known better.

Slightly disappointed, the small teen wondered what it was that woke him from that powerful, oh so inviting image. He shivered again, this time from an entirely different sensation. Damn it was cold! Another rumbling cough met his ears and he looked around, wondering where he was.

And then it hit him – he was downstairs, on the couch. He must have fallen asleep while they were watching the movie last night.

The television was still on, its blue screen glaring silently back at him as he blinked to clear his fog shrouded mind. Absently he toyed with the thick blanket that someone had been thoughtful enough to wrap around him after he had fallen asleep.

Another, slightly deeper cough caught his attention. Blearily he glanced at the other side of the couch to see that Yami was still asleep, wearing only his pajama bottoms, his legs drawn up against his bare chest. The petite teen took a moment to admire the expanse of gorgeous, sun kissed flesh that was visible to his eyes.

Damn, his Yami was so carelessly sensual, so artlessly beautiful with his bronze skin and exotic, slanted ruby eyes. Even when he was sleeping, the man radiated raw sex appeal; long lashes just barely touching his cheeks…The dark teen shivered visibly, drawing Yugi back to what had woken him in the first place.

What time was it? Yugi turned his attention away from his darker half and squinted at the clock on the DVD player. Six in the morning? They had been down here all night! Oh gods – Yami! The thermostat automatically dropped at night to around sixty degrees! His darkness had to be freezing.

Cautiously Yugi reached over intending on waking the other. He pulled his hand back when it came into contact with unnaturally heated, damp skin. Damn, the other was sick again. Why couldn't he have just…?

"Oh Yami…why didn't you go to bed?" He whispered, more for his own ears than for the benefit of his sleeping darkness.

Yugi felt almost sorry for the former spirit. Between his being sick and the alarm on their house malfunctioning at random intervals, his other half had been run ragged and it was beginning to show on his stunning, sun kissed features. There were dark circles outlining those remarkable eyes and his skin had begun to pale from the lack of restful sleep in the past two weeks.

"Yami…wake up…" Yugi reached out and gently shook the other awake. "Come on, wake up – you need to go upstairs and go to bed."

"Ai-Aibou…?" Atemu opened his bleary scarlet eyes to see the smaller teen's concerned face only inches from his own.

Yugi scooted back a safe distance on the couch, still hesitant at close contact even though he knew the other wouldn't harm him. The action was ingrained, almost uncontrollable "Come on…I know you don't feel good. You need to go to bed."

"Mmmm…tired, I'll get to it in a little while." Atemu yawned and settled back against the couch, wrapping his arms around his stomach in an attempt to keep warm.

He was so cold. Why was he so cold? Everything was blurry and distorted. Was he sick again? Or was he dreaming? Must be dreaming – he could have sworn that he heard Yugi call him Yami. But his little one had no memory of those times. And he had strictly forbidden the others from mentioning the nickname that only Yugi had the right to say.

Yeah, he had to be dreaming. Atemu nestled back against the comfortable cushions intent on closing his eyes again.

"No, come on – I'll help you. You need to cover up." Yugi tugged on his arm gently, trying once again to rouse him.

The diminutive teen knew he was pushing his luck by attempting to direct the darker teen's actions for he knew all too well of the hot temper that lay just beneath the other's gentle exterior. But his Yami would never discipline him; he had proven it over and over – ever since they got home. And Yugi knew he couldn't just leave his darkness here in this condition while he started his chores for the day. He had to get the other to go upstairs and cover up. Somehow.

"Mmm…fine…Grandpa…I'll go." The darker teen mumbled sleepily.

"Grandpa? You really are sick!" Yugi exclaimed as he helped the other into a sitting position. "I look nothing like Grandpa."

"Mmm-hmm…What?"

Atemu's ruby eyes snapped open the moment he was upright, snapping him quickly from his hazy half sleep. He glanced over at Yugi, who had jumped back out of reach, before gazing around the room. It took him a moment to realize that he had fallen asleep watching his little one once the movie was finished.

Damn he felt like hell! Atemu knew this feeling. It happened last year too. Only not to the extent that it had his first year as a mortal. He shot off the couch like his ass was on fire, his only thought of ensuring his little one's continued safety even in his sickly state.

Experimentally the royal teen shifted his emotions, trying to draw on the shadow's power. Dark wisps formed around his fingertips before fading back out of existence. How the hell was he supposed to protect his little one in this condition? He was physically drained - completely useless right now. What if the boy's kidnappers chose today to come after him? How would he protect him then?

The irrational thought refused to leave his mind even though he knew that the general public was ignorant as to the boy's homecoming.

"Please…?" Yugi tugged at his hand, completely missing the fading wisps and their significance. "You need to wrap up in something warm and rest. We've been down here all night and you weren't covered up. This isn't good for you."

"N-no! I will not leave you alone!" Atemu swayed where he stood, reaching a hand out to cup the boy's face. "I couldn't bear it if I woke up to find you gone…"

"Then…I'll go with you. I can read while you sleep." Yugi countered with a soft sigh.

After everything his darker half had done for him, Yugi felt that he could at least attempt to return the favor. After all, if it weren't for his Yami he would be locked up somewhere still believing that he was bound to another's whims and sick fantasies.

"Uh-uh. I'm not about to keep you locked up due to my problems. I will grab a blanket and sit down here." Atemu's hand left the boy's face, wandering down his arm to squeeze his hand softly. "It's not fair to you."

"It's okay…really. You won't rest down here. I know you, you never do. Please, let me take care of you…If it makes you feel better I can call Bakura over and he can watch the house."

"No!" Atemu snapped. "I don't want him here!"

Yugi flinched slightly at the irritated tone, knowing that he had overstepped his bounds. But his reaction went unnoticed by Atemu as the darker teen attempted to clear his pounding head.

The former Pharaoh worried at his bottom lip as he tried to form a coherent thought. He didn't want to have to explain his pathetic condition to his friend. There had to be another way. Seto's men were still watching over the house – they would be fine without the Thief's interference.

Stubbornly, Atemu snatched up the blanket and sat back down on the couch. He would just sit down here and doze for a while. As long as he could hear what was going on with Yugi they would get through the day without incident. There was no way he was going to allow Bakura over here! He would never hear the end of it!

"I am sorry Aibou." Atemu apologized for his tone. "I will rest down here for the day."

Yugi shrugged it off, curling back up on the couch to watch his darker half with an unsure expression. "If you're sure. I just want you to be okay…"

Atemu watched tiredly as Yugi fidgeted with his hands, uncertain as to what to do. Heavy eyelids fluttered a couple of times as the sick teen fought to stay awake and soon conscious thought was no more.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi jumped in fright as the door to the house was thrown open with enough force to send it back against the wall with a loud thud. He turned his wide amethyst gaze in the direction of the visitors, curling back against the chair in utter fear.

"God damn cock-blockers!" Bakura snarled as he pushed into the house. "You do realize that I was this close to getting laid…Right?"

The taller white haired teen raised his hand and pinched his thumb and forefinger together to emphasize his point.

Yugi cringed against the back of the chair at the dark look in those hard brown eyes, tears leaking from his eyes. "S-sorry Bakura…I'm worried about Yami. He won't answer me. I can't get him to wake up…"

Bakura's narrowed gaze sought out and found the source of the boy's worry. He looked over Atemu's prone form as Yugi fidgeted in the chair, wondering what was going through the white haired teen's mind to give a look so fierce.

As much as the petite teen knew that the former thief wouldn't hurt him, he was still rather edgy around the other when he glared like that. His time in _The House_ taught him well to be wary of people when they were irritated. It always promised a great deal of pain for him.

"Don't worry about it midget." Bakura sighed, raking a hand through his snowy hair, his mind not processing the importance of what the smaller teen's statement. "He gets this way every year. I'll get him upstairs. I want you and Ryou to get his medication – it's in the bathroom - and a thermometer. Meet me in your room when you've got what we need. Hopefully he won't need to go to ER for breathing treatments this time."

The last comment was barely audible and Yugi almost shrugged it off as not having heard correctly. Nodding to the thief, he raced out of the room - Ryou at his heels - glad to finally be free of the cumbersome cast that he had worn for so long.

The previous comment settled into his brain after a moment and his eyes widened. His Yami had been to the ER? What happened? His dark half always seemed invincible…infallible. What had happened while he was gone?

"Don't worry so much Yugi…he's made it through worse." Ryou stated nonchalantly as they walked into the bathroom.

What? The small tricolor haired teen stopped in his tracks and stared after his friend. Until Ryou pulled him out of his shock and into the bathroom with a promise to inform him later.

Together the two teens gathered what they needed and scampered off to the second floor. They made it into Yugi's room just in time to see Atemu fighting Bakura's attempts to get him into bed – and losing. Yugi watched, stunned. This was definitely a first! Yami never lost a fight. Especially not to Bakura…

"Damn it! Let me go!" The smaller teen snarled.

"You will rest! If I have to sit on top of you to make you do it!" Bakura snapped back at the other teen. "You're not winning this fight."

"Fuck you Bakura! I'm fine!" Atemu snarled back with a scowl, showing a row of even, white teeth in his anger. "I was _resting_ quite comfortably where I was!"

"Oh yeah, you're so fine…*cough*bullshit*cough*. Excuse me for interrupting your beauty sleep cause this was so what I wanted to do with my day!" The white haired thief returned.

Yugi and Ryou watched the scene unfold for a few moments before hesitantly announcing their presence. Twin glares met their quiet comment as the two dark halves continued their argument, Yugi flinching away from the heated stares. After a few more minutes the winner of the fight was firmly declared as Bakura, Atemu too exhausted to continue resisting.

Bakura tossed the last blanket over the worn out Pharaoh before stepping out of the way. "I turn him over to you."

Yugi stepped cautiously into the room with a bottle of prescription cough medicine and the thermometer. Upon seeing the items in his hands, Atemu snorted and turned his back on the room. The royal teen had had just about enough babying in past two years to last him well into the afterlife. And that slime lime green shit was not coming within twenty feet of him if he could help it. That stuff was atrocious!

"Just let me sleep it off and I'll be alright." He grumbled, stubbornly pulling the covers up over his head.

Yugi's gaze dropped to the floor as he toed the carpet with his foot. This was all because of him. His darkness was going to hate him for calling Bakura against his wishes, if he didn't already. He wished he could take it back, but Yami's refusal to wake scared him something fierce.

Bakura's velvet gaze volleyed between Atemu and Yugi as the smaller of the two seemed uncertain as to what to do. Great, leave it to Atemu to be an obstinate ass! They needed to know if he needed medical treatment.

Well, if he had to step in, none of them were going to like him. But he would fire a warning shot first.

The white haired thief turned his deadly stare back on Atemu. "Okay…the way I see it you have two choices _almighty Pharaoh_. One – you let Yugi here take your temp the normal way. Two – I hold you down and you won't like where we stick that thermometer. What's it going to be?"

"Oh. My. God! Bakura!" Ryou hid his face in his hands, laughing helplessly. "You did not!"

Yugi blanched, blushing a deep shade of red at the insinuation, quickly pocketing the instrument to keep it out of the other's reach. There was no way he was going to be drawn into this! It was bad enough he was having sexually explicit dreams about his darker half. But to have Bakura threaten the other with a punishment like that…he was not getting involved!

"Hey! At least I gave him a choice, unlike you." Bakura grinned evilly back at his smaller lover.

Ryou's face turned an even darker shade of red. "You. Are. So. Wrong! Ass! And so going without tonight for that matter!"

Bakura ignored his boyfriend's empty threat to gaze back at the sick teen. "So…what's it gonna be?"

Atemu turned a fiery red as he gazed vulnerably back at the other teen from under the blanket. He knew his friend wasn't joking. He could and would do what he was threatening. He glanced over to his Aibou, who had also turned a deep red at the implication. It wasn't that he wouldn't…he just wanted to be left alone.

He didn't want his little one to see him like this. And he didn't want to be within ten miles of that disgusting cough medicine that made him light headed and weak.

"I might suggest an answer sometime within the next couple of minutes your majesty."

Shifting his ruby gaze back to the one who was awaiting his response, Atemu swallowed his dignity. "I have no problem with Yugi taking care of me…I just…Never mind." To Yugi he said simply. "I am all yours Aibou. I place myself in your tender care."

Yugi sucked in a breath at the double meaning those words held, his face coloring again. Oh gods – he just had to say it like that! Did the man not know what he was doing to him with his very existence, let alone provocative statements like that?

Shakily handing the medicine to Ryou, he withdrew the thermometer from where he had pocketed it earlier, approaching his darkness. He slid it into Atemu's waiting mouth.

The petite teen watched those exotic rubies slide shut, Atemu turning his face to the wall in shame.

Oh how Yugi wanted to kiss the mortified color from those reddened features. He had been there so many times – humiliated, exposed. But to see his darkness in such a position…so vulnerable. The thought tore at his heart just as it over heated his body.

He had near to never seen his Yami at anything less than his best. To see him so defenseless, so human…his heart beat loudly in his chest, bringing forth feelings that he had thought long ago buried. The need to comfort, to console.

Bakura smirked at them. "That's what I thought. I'm going to head downstairs for a few. When I get back up here I expect to see you…" He pointed at Atemu. "…asleep. Ryou, why don't you help Yugi? I just want to have a quick look around before we get comfortable. I seriously doubt anyone even knows he's here, but it doesn't hurt to be safe."

As the taller white haired teen left the room, Yugi took the beeping thermometer out of his darkness' mouth. 102! Wow, Yami was really sick! Hesitantly he reached out and brushed a sweat laden strand of golden hair out of the other's face, drawing those gorgeous rubies to him. A slender, bronzed hand came up and wrapped around his, holding it in place. The moment their eyes lock no one else existed.

"So what's the damage?" Ryou asked, breaking the tender moment as he poured a heaping spoonful of the thick, almost glowing greenish liquid.

"He's running a temp of 102." Yugi replied, jerking his gaze back to the white haired teen with a blush.

Atemu turned his face back to the wall, closing his eyes, feeling quite mortified at having Yugi see him in this appalling condition. It was his job to be the protector, to be the one to give solace. What did his Aibou think of him now?

Ryou capped the cough medicine. "It is rather high. But not enough for him to need a doctor. We can manage here."

The comment brought the former Pharaoh's scarlet gaze back to the two smaller teens. Drawing back, Atemu's features twisted into a mask of disgust as he eyed the thick, snot-like fluid. They were going to make him drink that again. Ugh! That stuff knocked him out for an entire day the last time he took it. And that was after he threw most of it back up. Warily, he eyed Ryou as the white haired teen closed in on him with the brimming table spoon.

"Don't look at me like that. You know it helps with your coughing and your fever."

"That's only because I'm too busy trying to keep it down." Atemu replied, his stomach rebelling at the mere thought.

"Yeah, well, be that as it may…you're still taking it." Ryou shrugged, careful not to spill any of the vile liquid. "And if you throw it up you'll be taking it again. So think about that would you."

Before the darker teen realized it, he had swallowed the whole spoonful. His face turned an odd shade of green as his body tried to decide if it wanted to repel the vile stuff or not. After a couple of close calls, Atemu was fairly confident that it would stay put and he slid back down on the bed, closing his eyes against the overwhelming dizziness. That stuff seemed to take effect the moment he took it.

Within minutes he was out like a light.

Yugi hesitantly sat down on the edge of the bed and took one of Atemu's limp hands into his. He hated to see his darkness like this. It was the last memory he had of the other before he was taken away. His only memory of Yami as just another, normal teenager subject to the wills of nature and fate.

A noise brought his attention to the doorway, where Bakura was lounging, watching the scene with interest.

"This happens every year?" The small teen questioned quietly, amethyst eyes not leaving the unconscious teen lying under the blankets. His darkness was so beautiful, so caring. It wasn't right for him to have to go through this!

The white haired thief nodded. "Yeah. I don't think this weather agrees with him."

"But Yami's always been so…I don't know…Larger than life? It's like he could do anything…never get hurt – or sick." Yugi commented as he turned his worried gaze back to the sick teen.

'He's always been so strong. He would never let anyone get away with threatening him, unlike me…' He thought to himself as he brushed the ever present lock of stray hair out of his darkness's face.

"Yeah, but you knew him when he was a…what did you say?" Bakura's eyes narrowed as he stared at the smaller boy in surprise.

Yugi head shot up at the other's harsh tone, eyes wide. "What do you mean…which part?"

Bakura advanced on the smaller teen. "What. Did. You. Call. Him?"

"Who? Yami?" Yugi shrank back against the bed, intimidated by the wild look in those dark velvet eyes.

"Yugi…you haven't called him that since you've been back!" Bakura said excitedly, stopping just short of the bed at the look of fear crossing the smaller teen's delicate features. "Don't you…do you remember?"

The small teen searched through his somewhat fuzzy memories, realizing just what had finally returned to him. The thought stunned him almost speechless. He remembered Yami…and Bakura…and Ryou…and Jou…his grandpa…on top of his first excruciating days in _The House - _when they tried to erase his memories of his life, and almost succeeded. His eyes welled up with tears. This was…this was…oh gods, the feeling was indescribable.

Yugi turned his tearful gaze to Ryou, who was staring back at him. "I-I don't know…oh my gods! I-I…He was my guardian…I remember his being given a body…oh gods! Bakura! Ryou! I remember! It's been coming back to me over the past couple of weeks…just some little thing here and there…but I didn't…! I finally remember!"

Yugi broke out into a torrent of tears. Ryou reached for his hand, and for the first time since he had come home, the smaller teen didn't completely withdraw. The two shared a small, waterlogged smile. Yugi finally remembering what the others meant to him. That he didn't need to fear them any longer. They were his friends. He had friends! He had Yami!

The two smaller teens embraced, Ryou holding Yugi tightly as he sobbed into his shirt. The white haired teen was immensely happy to have a little more of his friend back. All the times they had come over only to watch as Yugi slid further and further from their offers of help and companionship and they could do nothing but watch as he slipped from their grasp. Maybe now he would finally heal from the wounds those monsters had inflicted on him, both mentally and physically.

"…So what happened to him that first winter after I was gone?" Yugi finally turned his questioning amethyst gaze on Bakura, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

Bakura sighed, glancing out the window to the alley below. He knew this subject was bound to come up. The white haired thief gathered his thoughts for a minute before deciding that truth was his best option.

"I won't lie to you. He almost died that year. Your disappearance took such a toll on his health that I had pretty much given him up as lost. He didn't take care of himself, the cold that he caught turned into pneumonia. He was hospitalized for almost a month before he started to take a turn for the better. But even when he was well again, he wasn't there."

"But how?" Yugi questioned again, not satisfied with the partial answer. "How did he get so sick? And what do you mean he wasn't there?"

"He never gave up looking for you. Even when he was so sick he could barely stand…it could have killed him." Bakura replied. "Not once in the whole time you were gone did he give up. It was the only thing that kept him going. He lives for you Yugi…"

The small tricolor haired teen gazed tearfully back at his peacefully sleeping darkness. "Oh gods…I didn't know. Yami…I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about midget. Just recover…okay. We're all waiting for the Yugi we know to come back to us." Bakura said as he pushed Ryou out the door before beating a hasty retreat – his last words echoing back into the room as he fled. "We'll be downstairs, just call if you need us."

Yugi nodded as he wiped the moisture from his face again. He knew why they had left so suddenly. Bakura wasn't known for being overemotional. But what he had just said, about wanting him back…He was so glad that he had friends like that. Friends that would never give up on him. The petite teen turned his attention back to his ailing darkness.

"Oh Yami…I'm sorry. I really am…If I could turn back time…I would. For both of us." He whispered, running a hand softly over the other's angular face, thinking back over the past couple of months.

The petite teen's face burned with shame as he recalled his erroneous conclusion that Yami was his master. But Yami never made a big deal out of it. Took it all in stride. Every point of contact with his darkness flashed through his mind. All the looks that the darker teen had given him…his actions. They all made sense. The possessiveness that he had pondered over for so long…This was his Yami, and he finally remembered.

"I never imagined…I'm not worth it. Oh Yami…I'm not worth your loyalty!" Large tears rolled down his face to fall to the blankets that were keeping his darkness from becoming chilled.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	11. Chapter 11

Slight lime warning at the end of this chapter, but mostly harmless.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Day 202:

"…And joining us today is Dr. Aloysius Moran. He was Domino hospital's top rated psychiatrist until he lost his job four months ago. His story is one that concerns us all..." The pretty newscaster said in an animated voice, her hands gesturing wildly as she spoke of the newest scandal to hit the airwaves. "Clandestine hospital politics at the highest levels and the hospital's overall refusal to meet the needs of its patients due to interference from inexperienced…"

"Thank you Diane." The doctor overrode the co-anchor, an utterly false smile plastered on his face as he faced the camera. The lady grimaced at her guest's callousness, but let him continue for the moment. "For the past year or so I have been privy to the pandering attitudes of the medical staff towards the younger, more immature members of the hospital board. They even put one young boy's life at risk – as well as that of society – all due to one board member's ignorance."

"So I've heard." The newscaster interrupted with a pointed smile towards the camera, attempting to take back control of the interview. "You had quite a tale to tell when you contacted our show. According to the hospital you were let go due to budget cuts. But you have a different account completely. You even have a lawsuit pending. Why don't you tell our viewers what happened – in your words."

…The man behind the desk pointed his remote at the television and turned the volume down. Just what he wanted to watch – another person seeking fame and fortune for his self-made misery. Oh well, there wasn't anything else on and he needed background noise so he could get his work done.

The scratching of a pen on paper filled the room for a couple of minutes, overriding the muted noise of the TV as the man behind the desk continued with his accounting. Business was booming. He was servicing more people than he ever thought to. That would mean coming up with some new talent to keep his clients happy. Time to send the boys out again.

It was too bad that his brother had taken one of his most talented slaves and killed him by playing too rough. Oh he had been so pissed when he found out. That little trick cost him a thousand dollars a day. And he hadn't been able to find a suitable replacement yet. The new stock paled in comparison with those soft, innocent, angelic features.

Once again the man damned his errant sibling.

One of these days he was really going to have to do something about that brother of his. But it was his duty as head of the family to make sure that his less fortunate sibling lived a lifestyle befitting his lineage. His mother constantly reminded him of that obligation before she died, leaving him in complete control of their business. But if she would have known…The man sighed deeply. It was no use; his brother would always be the stone around his neck.

He glanced up at the TV with another put out sigh, expecting to see the unfortunate soul continuing to pour out his troubles to the heavily made up talk show host. Instead there was a picture of his slave plastered on the screen. His _dead_ slave! His jaw dropped as he fumbled for the remote…

"…So you're saying that it was your involvement in the case of the King of Games, Yugi Motou, that led to your dismissal? All because the teenage CEO of Kaiba Corp didn't want to hear the truth? That's a huge allegation Dr. Moran. Up until your story came to our attention no one even knew that the young duelist was alive. He was believed to have died months ago. And now not only are you saying that he is alive, but that he was recently released from the hospital and may very well be a danger to society? All on the account of Seto Kaiba…"

"That is exactly what I am saying…"

The doctor was expounding on his theory, but by now the man behind the desk was oblivious – and furious. His favorite slave was alive? Alive and well if the newscast was to be believed. His brother had told him that the boy was dead, that he had buried him himself. That fucking liar!

Then his next thoughts were for the safety of his company. Shit! If the boy remembered anything about this place it could mean the downfall of his business! He couldn't let that happen. He worked too hard to make this place what it was. His clients depended on him to run a discreet venture. If word ever got out…

So many high class people would be ruined. The commoners of the world simply didn't understand the need for places that catered to certain fetishes like his business did.

He had to get the boy back. Oh - his clients would be ecstatic to have that tasty little morsel back in their hands. The money he would make…He let out a nasty little chuckle. But this wouldn't be just for his clients, but for the safety of his business as well. He couldn't leave his prize out there for others to pick at his brain. He would so punish that lovely little beauty for being allowed to escape. But first…

The man punched the intercom on his desk.

"Mackenzie…get me Grunt and James. I have something they need to retrieve for me. And I need my _brother _to meet me at _The Room_! Immediately! He and I have something that needs to be discussed!"

He slammed the button back down on the intercom. His youngest family member had some explaining to do…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi laid his elbows on the counter and rested his chin on top of his hands as he watched his darkness roam around the shop straightening merchandise before they opened for the day. He had never been so happy to see Yami back up and around not even a full twenty-four hours after he had passed out in the living room. It was almost as if nothing had happened – as if he hadn't gotten sick at all.

The darker teen's recovery almost bordered on the miraculous. Once Yami realized that Yugi remembered who they were, it was like the glow had returned to his ashen features within only hours. His ruby eyes brightened considerably, and this time not with fever – the energy that had been sapped from his frame coming back two fold. The two tricolor haired teens shared a few moments of cuddling and some quiet time just reacquainting themselves after Yugi's announcement.

And now, not even a week later, the former Pharaoh's urge to do something had kicked in, making it known to all that he was in fine health and spirits. And since both Jou and Ryou had prior commitments today, Atemu decided to spend a couple of hours manning the shop.

Amethyst eyes lit briefly on the darker teen's slender backside before their owner realized where they were lingering and tore his gaze away to stare at the floor. His thoughts quickly disintegrated into a jumbled mess of differing emotions. It was getting harder and harder to keep these feelings in check. Especially now that he remembered exactly what Yami meant to him before he was kidnapped.

With a dejected sigh the smaller teen lifted his solemn amethyst gaze from the floor, unable to keep from watching the gorgeous sight right in front of his face. What he wouldn't give to turn back time. But at least his darkness was back to his normal, energetic self. He should just be thankful for that, not looking for more.

It was Yami's first day back at work since Yugi had been deemed fit to leave the hospital months ago. And the smaller teen still wasn't quite comfortable enough to let the other out of his sight for an extended period of time. With the former spirit within screaming range he felt safe, secure - almost at ease.

So, even though it meant facing strangers for the first time since he had returned, Yugi felt it would be better if he accompanied his darker half – even if it was against the other's wishes.

If Yami was to be believed, the game shop didn't get much traffic anyways, so Yugi could deal with being around a person or two he didn't know for a few minutes at a time. It was having to deal with his inappropriate feelings for his scarlet eyed protector that he had a problem with.

And it was those feelings that the small teen was focused on as he sat on a stool behind the counter, nearly wishing that the other would notice him in exactly _that_ way.

The petite duelist went back to watching as the former Pharaoh continued with the task of making sure the displays were stocked and ready for the game buying public. Yugi was struck by the sheer liquid grace and beauty of the royal teen's movements. The way those slender hands would artfully arrange the merchandise, the precise – almost predatory – way he prowled the show room looking for the smallest of imperfections.

Yugi finally understood why he had thought Yami to be his master for those first, agonizingly long and humiliating months out of the hospital. A mortified blush made its way to the teen's face as he recalled the shameful way he behaved when he first got home. And lately all the peculiar urges he had concerning the darker teen. It had been so long…

Slowly the diminutive teen's eyes drifted shut as he imagined how those graceful hands would feel if they were wandering slowly over his body…caressing him so possessively. A shiver traveled the length of Yugi's spine as he imagined those gentle hands gliding up underneath his shirt…

"_Aibou…" Yami whispered huskily against his ear. "What are you thinking about…?"_

_Yugi jumped, not understanding how the other had managed to sneak up behind him so quietly. "Uh…nothing, really. Why?"_

"_Are you certain?" Atemu breathed into his ear again._

_The pleasant sensation sent chills up his spine. Yugi's heart raced in his chest as his body and his mind waged war to decide if he should stay or flee the hands that had come up to caress his back, sliding up under his shirt to send electric pulses singing along his nerves. The gentle hands became a steel band that locked him in place against the other's hard, well-toned body. He swallowed thickly, anticipation and fear warring within his mind._

"_Mmm-hmm." Yugi replied, dazed. "It's nothing…"_

"_I think you are lying to me little one…you have a lot on your mind right now…and I would like to know if any of those thoughts are about me." Atemu purred, rubbing his arousal up against Yugi's backside. "Perhaps what you would like me to do…to you?"_

"_I-I…uh…I don't…" Yugi started…frightened yet thrilled by the whispered words that promised something he needed very badly…something he had been without for so long…But he was so afraid…_

"Aibou!" Atemu called, making his way over from across the room.

Yugi's head slipped and met with the glass display case before he jerked his head up to meet his Yami's concerned gaze, drawing him out of his fantasy. "Huh…wha?"

"Are you alright?" Atemu asked, his scarlet eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I've been calling your name for a while now. You haven't answered me."

Atemu had been concerned about the smaller teen's state of mind for some time now. His little one's moods constantly shifted from one extreme to the other ever since his memory had returned and it worried him to no end.

One minute the boy was so close to the little one he remembered, only a little quieter, a little more hesitant – a little more lost. The next moment and Yugi was almost flirtatious and coy. Shortly after that the small teen would cling to him, shivering in his arms, pleading with him not to let him go. But never in all the wild mood swings would Yugi even so much as mention the time of his disappearance. Not even with gentle persuasion.

To Atemu the acute shifts in mood were very distressing; a sign the boy wasn't healing properly. He was told to expect it, but to actually see it was something different altogether. He didn't know how to react. What to do. He didn't want to try to pry the information out as that might hurt the little one even more. But this guessing game was becoming stressful for the both of them.

Just the other day he had referred to Yugi as his light, his hikari and it sent the boy into a full blown panic. It was the only way he was able to learn even a part of what Yugi had been through while he was gone. He learned the _name_ those people had called his Aibou. But no more than that.

Soon after imparting that little tidbit of information Yugi clammed up – refusing to say another word as he shivered and shook in his darker half's embrace, letting the darker teen hold him, whispering words of comfort. It was all Atemu could do to calm the boy down when he got like that.

"'m fine. I-I was, uh, just zoning out." Yugi replied with a vivid blush as he rubbed the side of his face. Damn that hurt!

"Uh-huh." Atemu walked behind the counter, taking a hold of the boy's chin and examining the forming bruise. "Zoning out on what...? You can't continue to hold it in like this little one. You'll never heal this way."

Yugi tore his amethyst gaze away from intense, penetrating rubies to stare at his feet, feeling as though those eyes were attempting to see into his soul. "I-I don't really feel like talking about it…yet. Can I have a little more time? Please?"

The smaller teen's face fairly glowed with shame and embarrassment. He couldn't tell Yami what he had been through. He couldn't say it, not out loud, not for the other to hear. To tell what they had done to him over and over again. He never wanted his darkness to know what he _allowed_ those men to do.

To know that after a while he even took a sort of sick, twisted pleasure from what they did. Or that he wanted exactly that from the gorgeous, powerful teen with those entrancing ruby eyes.

"…As long as you remember that I am always here and willing to listen." Atemu responded as he walked away to flip the sign to open and unlock the door.

Yugi's eyes followed the other's form as he sauntered away. His gaze flitting to Atemu's tight fitting black jeans, admiring the slender figure he presented. His darkness had the sexiest ass he had ever laid eyes on. And the way those jeans fit…The small teen jerked his gaze back to the floor again, barely catching the end of what the other was saying.

"…I will not abandon you if that is what you are fearing. No matter what."

"It's not that Yami…I…uh…it's…ah…complicated." Yugi sighed as he fidgeted with his hands, trying to think of something to say to fill the tense silence.

He had to find a change of subject that would throw Yami off of what he had been daydreaming about. If that ever came out what would the other think of him then? That he was nothing more than a whore? Most likely. He was a whore. Just because he was home again didn't change that little fact. He was what _they_ made him. The urges didn't lessen with the change of scenery.

He definitely didn't want Yami to know that he still had the biggest crush on him. Not now. Not when they were so close. His other half might not walk away from him, but he probably wouldn't allow the closeness that they shared now. And that was the only thing keeping him even somewhat sane. He couldn't bear it if Yami shunned him.

"Uh-huh, and what would be so complicated that you cannot tell me little one?" Atemu continued to press.

With a sigh Yugi attempted to come up with a topic that would throw his other half off of what he was thinking – and he only halfway succeeded. "…Uh Yami…All of our friends are now in couples. I mean there's Anzu and Duke, Jou and Kaiba, Bakura and Ryou, Malik and Marik, Tristan and Serenity…"

Atemu wandered back up to the counter, wondering what this topic had to do with what they were discussing, ruby eyes intent. When the boy fell silent, he nudged him playfully with an elbow. "Go on, I'm listening."

"How come…I mean why haven't you found anyone yet?" Yugi fiddled with his hands as he spoke. "With all the admirers that you had when you first…" He trailed off, not meaning to get into such an intimate discussion with his past – and current – crush. Damn his one track mind!

But he had to admit he was curious. By all rights Yami should have found someone to share his life with by now. He couldn't have been sitting around waiting for him. Right?

"And you're wondering why I haven't settled on any person in particular?" Atemu finished for him, shifting uncomfortably against the counter.

The former spirit sighed deeply. Once again he found himself out of his element as far as Yugi was concerned. This was not exactly the topic he wanted to get into with his little one when the boy was just beginning to heal – he was uncomfortable with his own naivety as it was. If he told the truth it would only serve to scare Yugi back into his shell. How to phrase it without making his little one afraid of him? Without letting him know how ignorant he really was about the subject in general.

The older teen stalled for time to think as he walked around to the back side of the counter, studying Yugi with flaming intensity. Why did his little one want to know this? Could he finally remember the kiss that they had shared on that fateful day?

Most of the boy's memories had returned already. If that one had as well, did Yugi hate him for it? It was the whole reason the little one had been wandering about, leading to his kidnapping.

Or was there an altogether different reason for the inquiry?

"Yeah…I was just wondering…" Yugi toed at a flaw in the carpet, refusing to look up.

"Aibou look at me." Atemu commanded gently, searching for clues in the amethyst depths while he tried hard to keep his expression calm – to keep the color from his face as he admitted his true feelings. "None of those admirers that you speak of ever held my attention. Besides, you are my life. You saved me from my imprisonment. I would be by your side no matter what."

"No matter…?" Yugi searched the other just as hard for clues to his response.

"Were you…were you still missing I would still be searching. Were you still to be locked inside your mind, I would remain by your bedside. Were they to pull the plug; I would…willingly meet you on the other side. You obviously have no idea how much you mean…to me." Atemu pledged softly as he lovingly brushed a stray lock of hair out of the smaller teen's face.

The younger teen reflected on the other's response for a minute. It was as he thought – Yami still assumed that he owed his life. But was that all? That answer – there was something hidden beneath the beautiful words of their existing partnership. His darkness wasn't acting any different than he had before. But something had changed. It showed in those chiseled, sun kissed features. What was different?

Yugi studied his darkness's serious expression attentively. There was a barely detectable hint of red blooming on that glorious, angular face. Was Yami blushing? It was so hard to tell with the other's naturally dark complexion. The smaller teen looked a little harder.

Yeah, Yami was blushing. Why? Why was this topic so hard for him to discuss? Was he hiding something? Amethyst eyes wandered of those chiseled features to focus on Atemu's generous mouth, unable to move any further.

"But that's so unfair to you. You deserve a life of your own…" Yugi started, attempting to focus on the discussion rather than on his darkness's tempting lips. If only he could…

Atemu put a finger gently to the teen's lips to forestall the rest of the comment. "I don't want one. I said it before. You are my life. I am happy where I am."

Yugi groaned soundlessly as he pondered the comment for a moment, the silky feeling of his other's finger distracting him and making it hard to form a coherent thought. But eventually higher brain function kicked in once again and he realized what the problem was.

Thinking back to all the time spent with his darkness Yugi had trouble trying to come up with a time that the former Pharaoh looked as ill at ease as he did now. The darker teen had come close a couple of times when others went a little too far with their flirting, but not to this degree.

It was hard to tell if you didn't know what to look for, but all the signs were there. The stiff, unyielding posture, the tell-tale hesitance in what was usually a very eloquent speaking voice. All were signs of the former Pharaoh's apprehension. With this topic.

Yugi had a hard time equating his darkness with innocence, but now that he truly thought about it there was this slightly naive quality to the royal teen's way of thinking. There always had been. The way the older teen would fidget when Bakura and Ryou forgot that there were others in the room. The way he would quickly change the subject if the discussion meandered towards a sexual undertone.

The way he would look away quickly if Yugi happened to catch him watching.

Was there the slightest possibility that Yami still felt the same way he did? And if so, did the former spirit even recognize it for what it was? It was something that he never would have thought about had he not seen lust in various stages – that his other half could be that naive. But the notion continued to stick in his head, forcing him to examine his distorted memories of their time together since he left the hospital, looking for clues.

"Yami…have you ever had sex?" Yugi blurted out before he could catch himself.

The small teen clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. He couldn't believe he had just said that. What got into him?

Atemu jerked back wide eyed. He couldn't believe his Aibou had just come right out and asked that. But then again after what the boy had been through he supposed it was bound to come up eventually. It was not a matter he was at ease with. And it showed in his body language, as he stiffened up, folding his arms over his chest. He took a deep, calming breath and tried to give an acceptable answer.

"Ah…I…no Aibou. I…" Atemu stuttered truthfully, quietly – his eyes lighting anywhere but on the young teen standing before him. "I've never had the privilege." He finished in a quiet voice.

Yugi's jaw dropped at the unexpected response. "Not even when you were Pharaoh?"

Atemu opened his mouth to explain that there had never been time to consummate a relationship when he had ruled Egypt. But he never got the chance, for the bell rang, indicating that they had a customer. With a grimace only Yugi could see the royal teen turned to greet their visitor, a tiny smile plastered on his face. They would have to finish this later. What a time for someone to walk into the store!

"Welcome to the Kame Game shop. How may I…"

"We've just received word that The King of Games is alive and back home again…and here he is!" The reporter gushed as she spotted the smaller teen hidden behind his larger double.

A horde of reporters burst through the door just seconds after the first one, each itching to catch a glimpse of the thought to be missing teen icon, all vying for his attention with their tapes rolling and cameras flashing. In the midst of it all sat Atemu and Yugi, both too stunned to move as they stared back at the throngs of reporters that had invaded their home.

Another reporter shoved the microphone in Yugi's face. "How does it feel to finally be home? Do you remember anything about where you were before you ended up at the hospital…?"

"Were you raped?" Another questioned randomly.

Yugi looked up at Atemu, his eyes wide with fright. "I-I…" He stuttered as tears appeared in his eyes.

Atemu glanced back at his Aibou immediately realizing the danger. He quickly pulled the boy behind him and out of the reporters' direct reach. His little one was in tears already. Damn they didn't need this! The traumatized teen was finally getting to the point where he felt safe. They didn't need another setback.

When he had turned around earlier to greet their customer he wasn't expecting the circus of media that had invited themselves into their store, sniffing out a story that he had thought was never to be told. Who the hell leaked?

Springing into action, the former Pharaoh pushed the boy through the door to the house. "Call Kaiba now!" He hissed quietly so as not to alert the reporters. The door automatically locked as soon as it shut, leaving him to deal with the disappointed media's questions concerning his Aibou's reappearance.

"I'm sorry but Yugi is not in the condition to answer your questions right now. I'm going to have to ask that you leave the premises." Atemu commanded as he began to push through the throngs of people crowded into the game shop. "I will have a statement within the hour. But for now I ask that you respect our privacy."

"Who are you? Are you Yugi's brother…?"

Atemu flinched at the cruel, but believable comment.

"…We've been told that Yugi Motou is not mentally fit to exist in society. Do you have a response to that?" One of the bolder reporters stuffed a mic in his face.

Atemu turned an intense, deadly glare on the man. "Who would dare speak such lies!"

At his enraged question the rest of the reporters pounced on him, each eager for sound bites and quotes for their editors. They threw question after question at him, irritating the former monarch even further. This went on for what seemed like hours until Kaiba stepped through the door, Jou following close behind.

"Everybody out!" Seto shouted to be heard above the din. "The police are on their way! I would suggest leaving the property or spend the night in jail for trespassing!"

While Kaiba was busy pushing the horde of nosy reporters out the door, Jou grabbed Atemu and shepherded him towards the back of the shop and away from prying eyes and cameras. The smaller teen's furious coloring had yet to fade from his features and the blonde was worried about what had been revealed in his discussion with the media. Whatever it was, it had infuriated the former Pharaoh.

Atemu took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relieve the pressure of the oncoming headache. "Yugi was able to get a hold of you?"

"Not that I know of." Jou answered. "We came as soon as we saw the story broadcast on TV…"

"What did you tell them?" Seto questioned as he locked the door and flipped the sign to closed.

He listened closely to the reply before rounding on the smaller teen "Damn Atemu, you know they're going to twist your words around to suit their needs! From now on you let the lawyer speak for you."

"I told them the truth!" Atemu shot back. "If they cannot handle it that is not my fault. Yugi doesn't need them!"

Atemu angrily punched the code into the panel by the door and threw open the door, stalking into the house, leaving the other two teens to make their own way in. Jou went around to each window and shut the curtains to keep out the curious reporters that were still milling around the grounds, all the while giving a running commentary on the interview that had been broadcast all over their city.

While Jou was catching Atemu up on their dire circumstances Kaiba pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and began issuing orders to his men to once again keep watch on the house. He ended the call only to contact his lawyer to draft up a statement to the press, as he thought over all of the complications that may arise as a result of the former psychiatrist's loud mouth.

As soon as Atemu caught up on all that was going on he excused himself and raced directly up the stairs and into their room, expecting to find Yugi huddled under the covers. Which was exactly what he found. He hurried over to the bed and unwrapped the small, shivering form buried beneath the sea of blankets.

"Oh Aibou…I am sorry." He whispered as he drew the sobbing teen onto his lap. "I should have made you stay in the house. It's too soon for you to face the public. And now that the media's involved I do not want you out of this house at all! I'll just hire someone to watch my shift."

What the former Pharaoh didn't want to say was that there was a good chance that the teen's kidnappers would come back around. He didn't want to worry the little one any more than necessary. He was worried enough for the both of them.

"Please…I-I don't want…you need to go to work…" Yugi protested tearfully.

"No I don't little one. Do not concern yourself over our financial state." Atemu replied softly, stroking the teen's hair. "We will be alright."

"Oh, okay."

Yugi calmed considerably at the gentle touch, believing his other half's words. He leaned into Yami's soothing motions, closing his eyes with a sniffle. What he wouldn't give to be pure again, to erase the harsh memories of his imprisonment that haunted his every thought. To be able to enjoy his darkness' attentions for what they were.

He knew now that Yami cared for him deeply. But did his darkness desire him as well? That was the question. He knew what he needed, what he wanted from the gorgeous, commanding former Pharaoh, but did the other want it too? So many what-ifs passed his thoughts, touching his mind only briefly, almost too briefly for him to catch. If only there was a way to find out without ruining their relationship.

"All better now?" Atemu whispered huskily.

Yugi nodded curtly, agitated, and pushed away from the darker teen in order to let him up. He paced the length of the room restlessly, dashing the moisture from his eyes. The very idea that his darkness might see something worthwhile in him was tearing him apart. He needed someone to love him, to touch him…And he needed that someone to be Yami.

The only person who could ever understand him, who truly knew who he was.

But he wasn't fit to even lick the other's boots. His darker half was so dignified, so sophisticated – yet so pure despite his origins. And he was truly nothing more than an out of work whore. It was all he would ever be. It wasn't up to him to taint that purity.

But he needed Yami so badly. He needed to feel the darker teen's powerful hands on his body, to taste those tempting lips, to…

"I'm going to talk with Seto and Jou. I will be back in a couple of minutes at the most. Your time is up little one. It is time to talk about this. I will not allow you to keep this bottled up any longer…This…It's not good for you." Atemu stated softly, bringing Yugi's startled amethyst gaze back to his.

They stared at each other, frozen, for a moment before darker teen hopped up and made to leave the room.

Atemu jumped from the bed and crossed to the door. He needed to get out of that room. He couldn't be alone with his little one like this. Just seeing that tormented, vulnerable look in the little one's eyes was driving him mad. He wanted so desperately to lean down and kiss those tears away. To claim those trembling lips in a fiery kiss. To replace the agonizing nightmares with glorious dreams of the two of them together.

He shook his head vehemently. What the hell was he thinking? This was his Aibou he was thinking of in _that_ way! He needed to get the hell out of this room! Now! They could talk about this after he dealt with the media and cleared his head.

His first priority was Yugi's health, both physical and mental. And that came before his feelings, before his urges. He needed to get his head back together before he did something they would both regret.

The former Pharaoh barely made it to the door before he found himself spun around and not so much thrown against it as pressed firmly back into it by a pair of small, but insistent hands. His breath caught in his throat as a pair of soft lips sought out the bare skin on his neck.

"Aibou…Yugi, what…?" He breathed, instantly forgetting the question as soon as one of those talented hands massaged the front of his jeans.

"Shhh…relax Yami. I'll take care of you." Yugi replied huskily as he tugged at the hem of the other's shirt, giving him access to the bronze skin beneath.

Atemu gasped softly, squirming as one of the soft, pale hands found their way up under his shirt to tease at the sensitive skin underneath before running around the waistband of his jeans. Was this…a dream? He had never felt anything so intense, so pleasurable. Ruby eyes fluttered shut as Yugi eagerly molested the skin that was within his easy reach.

The small teen glanced up at his darker half's glazed expression as he slid to his knees, taking the zipper that held the tight black jeans together with him on his way down. A hitch in Yami's breathing told him that the other was not unaffected. Sliding a slender hand inside the parted material he fondled the darker teen's growing length gently.

The petite, amethyst eyed teen knew exactly what lust looked like; he had seen it many times over the past couple of years. And depending on who the look came from it either scared the hell out of him or thrilled him right down to his toes. More so the former than the latter. But this…

The longer he thought on his darkness's attitude the more the pieces fell into place. And the longer he mused on the other's secretive glances and stuttering replies to his questions earlier…well, there was almost a yearning quality to those exotic scarlet eyes whenever their eyes would first meet. But whatever was there was always quickly camouflaged behind a look of compassion, so he had not been quite sure. Until now.

The look that Yami had just given him as he went to walk out of the room was filled with blatant desire and longing. And that scorching gaze burned him pleasantly right down to his toes.

Yugi realized that he wanted to do something about it. It wasn't like Yami was just another client – no, this was the one person he'd had a crush on for the past four years – the one who he fantasized about each time he was violated. The one who was by his side from the moment he woke up, helping him learn to live.

His savior, his hero…his Yami.

This was his other half and if this was what Yami wanted then he would make it the best experience he possibly could. It was time he paid his crush back for all the strength and support – the only way he knew how.

Yugi continued to fondle Atemu's hardening length with one hand, keeping the other teen pleasantly occupied so he could wriggle the tight jeans down his hips until the large, swollen erection popped free right in front of his nose.

"Aibou…wha…?"

Atemu couldn't form a rational thought through the haze of pleasure that was clouding his mind. His body writhed against the hand that was pleasuring him so skillfully. No one had ever touched him in such a manner. All the times he had dreamed about it – none of them held a candle to the reality.

Yugi eyed the perfectly formed erection in front of his face as he continued to stroke gently. He had seen many of these in his time in _The House_. They came in all shapes, sizes and colors. This one he was currently teasing was perfectly shaped if a little on the larger, heavier side, but no flaw or imperfection could be seen.

He opened his mouth to taste the pre-cum that was in danger of leaking off the end. Flicking his tongue at it he tasted the salty fluid, giving a quick kiss to the tip in retreat. Atemu's barely formed words turned into a near silent moan as he shuddered at the action. His darkness was like putty in his hands as he writhed against the door, his breathing erratic and heavy, those exotic eyes closed in pure pleasure.

The small teen pulled the tip into his mouth, humming softly. As he did so Atemu trembled violently, arching away from the door with a silent scream.

"St…st…" The former Pharaoh's half formed thought was lost in a wordless moan as he shivered in delight. "Yu…Aibou…pl-please…don't…ah…"

Atemu's gasp turned into a hoarse, choked shout as Yugi took his entire length into his warm, moist mouth. Oh gods he had never imagined…

With his last ounce of control the former Pharaoh grasped the younger teen by his shoulders and…

…And pushed him away? Yugi couldn't believe it! He thought that this was what Yami wanted. Could he have mistaken the look in his darkness's eyes that badly? Or was it because he was nothing but a whore? What did he do wrong?

Tears welled up in the petite teen's eyes, spilling over his lashes as he sat on the floor. "Ya-mi…?"

Atemu stuffed himself back into his painfully tight pants and collapsed bonelessly to the floor, his breathing still fiercely affected by what the other had done to him. He snatched Yugi up into his arms as he tried to catch his breath, holding tightly as the smaller teen squirmed to get out of his grasp.

"P-please…don't hate me…I-I'm…I'm sorry…I thought…" Yugi sobbed as he tried to twist out of the iron tight grip. He didn't want to look up and see hatred in those exotic rubies. He couldn't bear it if Yami were to look at him in disgust. Oh god why did he have to do that? Why couldn't he have just left well enough alone?

"Stop Aibou…"Atemu commanded gently, stilling the smaller teen's struggles with the tone of his voice. He brought a hand up to caress the boy's face. "This is not what I want from you. This is a conditioned response. You are reacting to my wants, my desires."

Yugi glanced up cautiously only to be caught in the fervent devotion that was all but obvious in the warm crimson depths. He could drown in the turbulent emotions evident in those gorgeous eyes. How had he not noticed that before?

Atemu shifted his position to heft Yugi further up onto his lap so as not to let the boy know exactly how badly he was affected by the advances, refusing to break eye contact with the mortified teen. He was so hard it was painful! But he didn't want this yet. Not now, not like this. This wasn't the Yugi he knew. And it was time Yugi realized it.

"Then what…" Yugi started tearfully.

But the question was silenced as a pair of feather soft, questing lips descended onto his. The small teen bit back a moan of approval as Atemu's tongue requested entrance into his mouth. He leaned into the heart stopping kiss, opening his mouth to allow the other entry. When he did Atemu hungrily mapped out the warm, moist cavity, enticing his tongue into play.

Their breath intertwined as the darker teen took control of the kiss, gently demanding that Yugi comply with his intentions, which was something the smaller teen was more than willing to do as he breathed in the other's bold, intoxicating scent.

Yugi molded his body flush against Atemu's, silently begging for more, wrapping his arms around muscular shoulders for balance. Never before had he been kissed like this! This was…this was heaven! Time ceased to exist as the two explored each other's boundaries, expressing their feelings with their hands and their lips. Words were the furthest thing from their minds.

Finally gathering the will to break the powerful kiss, the former Pharaoh leaned his forehead against Yugi's, breathing heavily. "This is all I ask of you Aibou. And it is up to you if you want to give it. I will never ask for more than you want to give. I have loved you before I knew who we were."

Yugi opened his mouth to speak, but a gentle, teasing finger was once again held to his lips, averting his comment.

"…I don't want the conditioned responses that you learned in _that_ _place_. Shortly, I don't want sex…" Atemu stated firmly but quietly, caressing the teen's lips lovingly with his fingertips. "At least not until it is no longer just a response – you trying to please me. I know you are not ready to take that step yet. And neither am I. When we finally make love that is what we will be doing. Not just you handing over your body for me to use."

"But…I don't know if…I don't know if I can…It's all I know…" Yugi trailed off tearfully as he hung his head shamefully.

Atemu tipped the teen's face up to meet his gaze. "Shhhh little one, you needn't worry about something so trivial. We will learn together. I love you Aibou. I always have, always will."

Yugi slowly digested the information. The one person he'd had a crush on forever had just admitted his love. Crystalline drops slid down his cheeks to fall soundlessly to the carpet as he buried his face in the darker teen's shirt. He wasn't worthy of his Yami's love. His body he could give. After so long of earning his keep on his back the small teen was quite sure that he wasn't good enough for his beautiful darkness.

But the knowledge wouldn't keep him from trying to be.

"Oh Yami…I…" The petite teen sobbed brokenly as Atemu enveloped him in a crushing embrace.

"It will be okay Aibou. Please, believe in this, believe in us." Atemu implored, his eyes misting over at the forlorn expression on the boy's angelic features.

Yugi broke down at the dark teen's whispered plea, huge sobs wracking his body as he tried to come up with a reason the other would care so much.

Atemu cried right along with him, knowing that this relationship would not be easy on either of them, but hoping that he could set right some of the wrong done to this small, angelic being that depended on him for a chance at a real life - and real love.

After the moment passed, the younger teen whispered quietly, his words almost lost in Atemu's shirt. "How did you end up the innocent one of the two of us?"

"I am far from innocent little one." Atemu sighed as he smoothed the smaller teen's hair in gentle motions. Yugi snorted in disbelief. "It's the truth little one. So honestly neither of us can lay claim to that description. It does not matter. I assure you that no matter what you have been through I will always love you. None of that was your fault. Please…you need to let me in. You need to talk to someone about what happened. Let me be that person."

Yugi took a deep breath as he thought over the plea those words held, chewing on the inside of his lip as he debated his options. He couldn't continue to hide this. It was tearing him apart. And it was tearing Yami apart, which was the last thing he wanted to do. His other half had always been there for him.

He couldn't tear his gaze away from those pleading ruby eyes. Yugi took a deep breath. It was now…or never. "I…they…they gr-grabbed me that day…when I was…" Tearfully the boy began to recount some of his disappearance, starting with what he could recall of the day he was taken.

He refused to look at his darkness as he told his tale, his hands clenching tightly in Atemu's shirt. And he didn't tell all of it, he couldn't. But it didn't matter, it was a start. And with every word that he spoke, every tear that he shed, the gaping wounds in his heart began to close, to heal, even if it was only ever so slightly.

Atemu listened intently to the haunting story his little one wove. A truly deplorable account of heartbreak and pain, of shame and terror. What he heard shocked and appalled him, reducing him to tears as he heard the boy's whispered torment.

The former Pharaoh closed his eyes against the tears that were rolling down his face, wrapping his arms around the shaken boy, pulling him closer. Never again! He would find whoever was responsible for the boy's condition and make them pay for the ill they had done. It was his last promise before he tucked Yugi into bed, assuring the teen that he would return after dealing with Seto and Jou.

As he closed the door behind him Atemu's first thought was that perhaps the media coverage was a good thing.

Ruby eyes glowed with malicious intent. It might give them a shot at finding his Aibou's kidnappers, before they struck again – as he and the others figured they would. It was all he could hope – to set right this wrong done to his little one. To rid the world of those willing to cause pain to such an angelic, innocent being.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	12. Chapter 12

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Day 233:

"So…wanna see some twin action tonight?" The man known as Grunt leaned up against the window, glaring back at his partner appraisingly.

Born Henri Andrew Bonner the Third, he was a very plain faced, forgettable man. And more often than not he was referred to his short, stilted one word answers by those he worked with. The nickname Grunt had stuck with him for almost his entire adult life.

But he was quick and he was thorough when he did a job. And so his boss had paired him up with James – a slightly flamboyant trouble maker – when he came of age to get into the business that his father had flirted with back when he was a child.

His lack of personality and plain, often overlooked features helped him to slip into places where others weren't able to go and make a clean getaway when he was finished. And they certainly came in handy when he and James would go out for a night on the town. It was a well-known fact to all the duo worked with that they adored little boys. And if it weren't for his quick thinking both of them would have ended up behind bars a long time ago.

But now the pair had run into a situation where Grunt's invisibility was unable to help them. This was the first time that the man had ever found himself stonewalled, and the idea irritated him greatly. Almost as much as James had a few weeks ago.

If it weren't for the fact that he had run out of ways to entertain himself the unremarkable, middle aged man never would have made the suggestion. He wasstill highly pissed off at his longtime partner, after all. But boredom had a way of helping two conflicting parties come to reconciliation – if for no other reason than to relieve the ennui.

And this job had passed way beyond the realm of boredom, sitting here day after day with nothing to distract them from the fact that they were failing miserably in their endeavor. In fact, Grunt couldn't even recall a time when one of the jobs he was sent on ever reached this level of monotony. The only excitement they got was on that first night when they had searched for an easy way into the small but seemingly inaccessible house across the street.

They had repeatedly tried all the doors and windows on that blustery, moonless night – thinking that the horrible weather would help cover up the noise they were making, but it was no use. Every window was hard wired into an intricate alarm system and the doors were made of thick steel that was painted to look like a normal door. The house was virtually impenetrable – unless they wanted to alert everyone in the immediate vicinity to their intentions.

By his thinking it would have been easier to get inside the vault of a well-known bank without being apprehended than to break into that house without having half a dozen expensive suited men with weapons breathing down their necks the very instant they so much as scratched a window.

That kid had people watching over the house. People even he didn't want to mess with.

When they checked in with the boss after their unsuccessful attempt the man had told them in no uncertain terms not to come back until they had his property. That would have been okay with him, but his idiot partner must have had a major brain fart during that conversation, for he let slip that their little toy had an exotic twin – obviously thinking that the boss would cut them some slack if they could sweeten the deal.

The comment did the exact opposite. It set the boss man off, as he literally snarled a rather unpleasant warning to bring _both_ boys back to him…or else!

So for the past three weeks – give or take – he and James had done nothing but sit in this crummy apartment, waiting for the opportunity to grab the boss's merchandise. So far no luck though. Neither of those pretty little boys had ventured out of the house, and there were always people watching over them. The infinite waiting was getting on his final nerve. He hadn't seen his girls in almost a month!

They were so close, right across the alley from their target – waiting, watching. But that was the only thing he and James had going for them. This had to end soon, or they would be found out and all hell would break loose. He really didn't want to be on the receiving end of that hell when it did.

So when his partner didn't answer him the first time he revised the question in a less hostile tone of voice. It really helped knowing his partner as he did.

"Yeah…I really would." His partner, James, snorted, pointing a thumb toward the building across from the one they were lounging in. "But the boss said to git the 'hoes. And that ain't happenin' right now. Which means we ain't leavin' this place any time soon. And they ain't gonna do nothin'. They never do. Just a little kissy-kissy."

"Shut up man." Grunt flung a damp towel at his counterpart. "Hehe, I've got just the solution to that in my pocket. And it will give us a little looksie into the store at the front of the house. Maybe from there we can find a way in without the babysitters knowin'. And it'll give us a little entertainment in the process."

"…I'm all for that, but how d'ya think you're gonna get one of 'em to drink it?" Came the hesitant reply.

The first man snickered superiorly as he pointed to James' open Pepsi can sitting on the window ledge. "How many people you know that go around with one of those all day? Lots right?"

James nodded, a leering grin forming on his features.

"Well?" Grunt questioned again.

"I'm up for it if you are. But won't that little brat know us?" James pulled his bulk up from where he was sitting and stretched.

"Nah, he probably doesn't remember anything anyways. From what the boss was able to figure out his brother did a number on that little whore. We'll be okay." Grunt hitched up his pants and walked out the door, followed by his partner of twenty years.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The former Pharaoh stood behind the counter casually chatting with his little one as he went over the last week's figures at the display case. Once again the boy had managed to convince Atemu that he would feel better in his presence rather than locked inside the house.

And once again the former monarch gave into his little one's wants. Even though it was against his better judgment.

This had become their routine over the past couple of weeks. Atemu would put his foot down on the subject of the smaller teen leaving the safety of the house and Yugi would break out his irresistible pout as he begged for a kiss. Not long after that, the darker teen would cave, knowing that no one would truly be able to harm the little one in his presence – and that he enjoyed the beautiful teen's company entirely too much to protest overly loud.

Atemu was thankful the media circus died down not too long after it started up, leaving them in peace not long after realizing that Yugi wasn't going to become the next Jeffrey Dahmer as that idiot psychologist predicted. The former monarch barely stifled an evil chuckle as he recalled what his friends had done to the man when they had caught up with him not long after his exposing interview.

Bakura even took pictures of the confrontation from beginning to end; all with the devious intention of using them to torment their other targets, under the impression that the anticipation of death would be worse than just the act itself. They would have to start planning for that act soon.

All he was waiting for was Yugi to be at ease enough to be left in Seto and Jou's protective presence without him for a couple of hours. Then it would be payback time. But at least there was one less asshole for him to worry about now.

It was just too bad they hadn't planned for a situation like this beforehand. Now the damage was done. Yugi's photo had been plastered all over the news, causing them no small amount of problems.

Thanks to that meddling idiot of a psychiatrist they still had the occasional gawker who would loiter around the shop solely with the notion of getting a good look at the teen who had been thrust unwillingly back into the spotlight with his reappearance.

Those people Atemu dealt with accordingly, many of them being tossed out the front door right onto their curious asses – a few of them even treated to the horrifying sight of shadowy tendrils gathering around the former Pharaoh's slender form if they weren't mentally quick enough to know that it was past their time to leave.

And, on top of that nonsense, Lieren had called a day or so ago, stating franticly that the elderly couple were on their way back home. Apparently Solomon got wind of something. Of what the old man wouldn't say, but undeniably something to do with Yugi's return.

The older man was definitely resourceful enough. Even though there were no televisions on their cruise ship – for relaxation purposes – he would have had other methods of keeping tabs on what was going on at home.

The ship the elderly couple had transferred to after cutting short the end of their journey was scheduled to dock sometime next week. Once Solomon got home the whole group would have to own up to their part in the plan to keep Yugi's reappearance from him. As if Atemu didn't have enough to worry about right now.

It wasn't his decision to keep the information from him in the first place – even though he still felt guilty for neglecting to mention that tiny little fact whenever the couple called and he had the misfortune of talking to Solomon.

But none of those problems were what concerned the taller tricolor haired teen right now.

It was as if they were being watched, he could feel it – that prickly feeling at the back of his scalp making his hair stand on end even more so than before. More often than not he'd had that eerie sensation in the past month.

When he passed the information on to Seto, his friend had confirmed it. Though the guards had yet to pinpoint which apartment the watchers were hiding in. They didn't even know who to look for yet. If it weren't for the dark blue panel van with tinted windows that had mysteriously appeared in the parking lot that belonged to the apartment complex across the street, they would have never known about the men beyond their unsuccessful attempt to break into the house.

According to Seto's head man the watchers walked into town like the rest of the people in that complex – never once touching the van, which made it almost impossible to single them out from all the other people who lived in the complex.

Atemu wanted not only those two, but the brains behind the scheme as well. To do that, he would have to wait until they revealed themselves for who they were or they were found out. And the former Pharaoh was tired of playing the waiting game; he never had much patience to begin with – especially where his little one's health was concerned.

He wanted these men badly. The two who had been sent to retrieve Yugi would die soon, of that he was certain.

But before they did Atemu wanted a name. A name, an address, something to lead him to who their boss was. That man was his primary target – him and the others who had made his little one's last two years a living hell. And the former spirit didn't intend on any of them getting away. He would hunt them to the ends of the earth if need be.

The door to the game shop opened; the bell above tinkling softly to announce the presence of a customer. Atemu looked up from his paperwork just in time to see Yugi quickly disappear behind the armed barrier between the house and the shop. Glancing around the former spirit wondered what had spooked his Aibou so. Then he caught sight of the men who had entered the shop.

"May I help you?" Atemu questioned as he eyed the two men warily from behind the cash register.

Neither man seemed the type to just wander into the game shop idly. Their clothing screamed conservative middle class with their half rumpled suits and large sunglasses. Not the normal game shop clients. But they didn't look like the typical gawker either.

They were here for something. The former spirit sized up his opponents as he stood with his arms crossed, a frown marring his exotic features, curious as to why they were here. Were they just a couple more curious onlookers, or was there more to it than that?

Yugi had been talking with him until these two clowns showed up. Then the small teen scampered quickly back into the house, forgetting his drink on the counter. That alone gave the former Pharaoh the idea that Yugi might have come into contact with these two men – maybe even intimately. His little one was doing so much better lately when it came to being in the presence of strangers. Why would he just up and leave now, unless he remembered these two goons.

Jealousy coursed through Atemu's veins at that unwanted thought.

"Excuse me, but do you know anything about what games would be good for a ten year old? It's my nephew's birthday tomorrow…" One of the men asked as they wandered around the store.

Atemu forced a smile as he walked around the counter. He wasn't too worried about what they would try with him. He could very easily kill them where they stood. But he wanted to find out what they were up to. If they were here for Yugi, or scouting the place out, looking for a weakness – which he knew damn well there were none. Bakura bitched about it every time he came over. And if the thief wasn't able to break in Atemu doubted that these two bumbling idiots could.

But it didn't hurt to be cautious. So Atemu kept a decent distance between himself and the two men as he showed off their supply of foreign and children's games. At no point did he allow either of the men out of his sight. While he helped the taller of the two decide on a game, the other was at the register checking out all of the rare Duel Monster card that were on display.

But neither of them did much more than look. And soon the men were gone, after having purchased one of the more popular board games. Only then did the former Pharaoh breathe a sigh of relief.

He locked up the shop and, taking a healthy swig out the cool grape soda that Yugi left behind, he let himself into the house to find out what had bothered the younger teen so badly that he had to leave for the shelter of the house.

Yugi heard his darker half enter the house so he wiped his eyes and switched on the video game to make it look like he had been playing the entire time. He didn't want Atemu to know the real reason he took off. Not when the other couldn't do anything about it. He didn't want his darker half hurt by these men!

They came back for him! He always knew they would, ever since he realized that Yami wasn't his owner. He was too valuable to the man he had known as _his_ _master_. How long did he have left? How long before they dragged him away from Yami and he never got to see those stunning ruby eyes? He would have to turn himself in. Anything to keep them away from his love!

An errant tear trailed down his face and he quickly wiped it away. It was better to just enjoy the time he had left with his darkness. There would be plenty of time for crying later.

"Aibou?" Atemu questioned as he sat down next to the smaller teen. "Why did you leave?"

"I-I didn't feel like dealing with people…" Yugi trailed off, praying that his darkness wasn't able to sense the lie.

The former Pharaoh glanced at the smaller teen sharply. He knew the boy was lying to him. But how to call him on it? To do that would mean asking why those men frightened him. And how he knew them. Which was a taboo subject no matter how many times he brought it up. Yugi had told him all he meant to say on the subject earlier and no amount of prying changed that fact.

With a sigh the darker teen set the can of pop down on the coffee table and reached out to draw the little one to him. He planted a chaste kiss on the boy's cheek.

"There is another reason for your silence Aibou. I'll be in the kitchen if you find that you want to talk about it."

Yugi nodded dumbly, unable to reply. After the other left, the small teen let out a tearful sigh and packed in the game controller. He couldn't concentrate right now. He just wanted to take some time to think about this new dilemma. Quickly he polished off what was left in the can that Yami had set on the table and wandered upstairs to their room for some privacy…

Twenty minutes later the diminutive teen had another problem. This one infinitely more pressing than his other concerns.

Yugi lay on the bed, tears streaming down his face, dripping into his still damp hair. He had an erection so hard it was becoming painful. Every thought, every image seemed to center on his scarlet eyed guardian. Those graceful hands, that lithe, bronze body…He knew that his former life would eventually catch up with him, but not like this. He couldn't get the erotic images out of his head.

He had already taken a cold shower, but to no avail. Those longings and images greeted him the moment he stepped out of the freezing spray, his fingers and toes purple from the cold. The erotic images of him and Yami together refused to leave his brain, consuming his body in a fiery blaze of need. He wanted…he wanted…oh gods he wanted it so desperately!

If only Yami would do more than just kiss him so passionately, leaving him yearning for more. For more than just their somewhat intimate encounters. Tear drops squeezed from under closed eyelids and he dashed them away with the back of his hand.

Panting heavily under his body's overwhelming need Yugi hastily removed his clothing and kneeled in the middle of his bed, contemplating his few options. He had never brought himself pleasure before, hell his _master's_ guests had rarely thought to do it either. Any pleasure he had received had been incidental. But the need to do something was almost uncontrollable.

With an expression of anxious distaste Yugi eyed the jar of Vaseline he had snagged out of the medicine cabinet on his way out of the bathroom, his body knowing what he was going to do before his brain could even grasp the concept. As humiliating as it was to him, Yugi knew only one way to take care of the recurring problem.

His body needed it, craved it. He had been so long without it. Even though the diminutive teen was wishing that it was Yami that would rid him of this aching need, fill this throbbing emptiness.

Oh gods he couldn't take it anymore. Mortified tears slid down his face as he spread the slippery substance around his fingers. These long months of celibacy were killing him. His past had come back to haunt him in the form of these unquenchable urges and images.

At least Yami would never know. The former Pharaoh was currently engrossed in his favorite TV show from the sounds of it. He would just have to keep quiet.

Deciding that his fingers were sufficiently lubricated for what he had planned Yugi sank to the bed, pressing the side of his face into the cool, soft fabric of his comforter, leaving his pale, shapely rear sticking up in the air, hoping this action would appease his body's demands. He could do this…right?

He reached underneath his body with his slick hand, using the other one to balance as he gripped the sheets tightly. Slowly he inserted three fingers into his own opening, hissing uneasily when it caused a spot of pain. This wasn't supposed to be! The small teen had thought he had passed that stage a long time ago. Gods help him if those men got their hands on him while he was still in this condition!

Shrugging sadly to himself Yugi continued to ease his fingers up into the tight passage, refusing to wait for his discomfort to pass. It wasn't like anyone else had waited for his pain to fade, just slid home and started pounding away. Why should he do any different?

When he couldn't go any further due to lack of reach, frustrated tears gathered in his eyes. He couldn't reach! Irritated he began to search the tight channel for what he knew would be there. That one spot that would make his torment fade away. His body writhed against his searching hand, anticipating...

Suddenly he brushed up against the bundle of nerves. A deep shudder rocked his frame. He found it! Steadily he began to rock back on his fingers, intent on bringing himself over the edge.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu closed his eyes as he fought against his body's insistent urge to race up the stairs and pounce on his little one, to rip the clothes from his lithe form and do his best to make the boy beg to be taken. The former Pharaoh swallowed thickly as images of Yugi's angelic features swam before his vision, beckoning him, calling to him.

He knew it wasn't true. His little one wasn't ready yet – and neither was he.

Shakily the former spirit wrenched himself off the couch and staggered to the bathroom, intent on relieving the intense pressure that had formed so quickly. As he unzipped his pants, Atemu reached back through his memories to try and find the trigger to his torment. Never before had he ever had such a dilemma.

Casually he stroked his swollen length; attempting to alleviate his torment. His teeth grazed the back of his hand as he bit back a cry of pleasure.

What could have caused this? One minute he was sitting on the couch trying to figure a way to engage his little one in a discussion about the men that had come into the shop earlier. The next moment he was fantasizing on their encounter of a week ago, the way the boy looked at him with those glowing amethyst eyes as he swallowed his engorged manhood.

Atemu gave another deep shudder at the image. Gods his little one was terrifyingly sexy!

His motions became frantic, the fantasies taking on an almost realistic quality. His breathing erratic as he swallowed past the lump in his throat. Those angelic eyes, those pouting lips, he couldn't stop. It was too much!

Stifling a weak cry, the tricolor haired teen slumped against the wall beside the toilet, unsteady and out of breath. What in the name of all that is holy was going on? Never had he had the urge to touch himself in that manner! With an inaudible groan at his newly returning erection Atemu glossed over the day's events.

The men had come into the shop…Yugi disappeared…he went out to the showroom to help one of them…the other one was checking out…wait! The first man! Yugi had left his pop sitting in plain sight on the counter! He hadn't even thought about this scenario.

The former Pharaoh had heard about drugs being slipped into drinks to heighten and prolong a sexual experience. His bronze features paled considerably. Did they…did they slip something into Yugi's drink? If so…

Damn it they both drank from that! He needed to check on Yugi! And Bakura needed to be called! Someone had to watch the house!

Awkwardly shoving his rapidly hardening manhood back into his pants without bothering to button them, Atemu hastily fled the bathroom in search of the phone. Call Bakura first, tend to Yugi next. He would see to his own comfort after everything else was finished!

Not five minutes later and the royal teen was on his way up the stairs to search out his Aibou. Bakura was in route, as well as Marik. They would look after Yugi's safety while he dealt with his _little_ problem.

He had already warned the gruesome twosome not to bother either of them past the point of making sure they were both in the house. If his little one had the same problem he did, then he was sure Yugi would not appreciate being subjected to company at this time.

Once he was done with this task he could lock himself in the bathroom and give in to his body's overwhelming demands. But first…Aibou!

Atemu paused outside the door to their room, not knowing if he should go in or just knock and ask. After a moment's deliberation concern (and maybe a little desire) won out. He had to make sure his little one was alright.

He opened the door a crack and slipped silently into the room, opening his mouth to call out to his Aibou. His words caught in his throat, ruby eyes widening as he tightened his grip on the door handle, staring at the alluring sight that was laid out before him. His heartbeat accelerated, his breathing becoming ragged in his consuming need.

His Aibou was completely nude as he knelt in the middle of the bed, his angelic face flushed in either concentration or pleasure, the former spirit was unsure. But the tempting sight almost brought him to his knees in need.

The way the boy knelt there, exposed; his slender legs spread wide, one hand almost completely buried inside his eager body as he attempted to pleasure himself. The former spirit nearly lost it right there.

Atemu watched fascinated and completely turned on as the smaller teen writhed wantonly against the buried appendage, his breath coming in gasps and silent moans. He must have made a noise of some sort for those stunning amethyst eyes opened hazily to lock with lust filled ruby. Unable to breathe with those eyes piercing him as they were, the former spirit was pinned in his spot by those gorgeous jewel-like orbs, his pants tightening uncomfortably.

"Please…" Tears filled the smaller teen's eyes as he turned his head to hide his mortified color. "I can't…make it go away. Don't…don't watch…me. I…don't want…you to see me…like this…Just leave…and let me finish."

A pitiful sob escaped soft lips as Yugi closed his eyes. He didn't want Yami to see him like this, to remind his darker half of what he was. After a few tense moments he heard the door click shut softly. Yami had left!

He hadn't meant to disgust his darkness like that. He should have locked the door. But he had other things on his mind. This erection wouldn't go away! And he couldn't bring himself to climax. It wasn't working.

His body trembling with barely suppressed tears, the small teen continued with his task. He hadn't meant for Yami to see him like this. He felt so dirty, so used…so cheap. But he couldn't stop.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	13. Chapter 13

Yeah, this chap's pretty much lemon all the way around. Enjoy – 'cause they will be a little late in coming for a while. Bullshit politicians in our fair state need to be taught that the constitution reads BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Oh! Here we go!" One of the watchers lifted his binoculars to witness the scene going on in the house across the street. It looked as though his half formed plan had paid off! "This is what we've been waiting for!"

"Really…they're gonna do it?" The other questioned excitedly as he reached for his own pair.

Sure enough the taller, fiercer looking of the twin-like boys had shut the door, locking it behind him before leisurely crossing the room to join his smaller, innocent looking partner…

Atemu shut the door, locking it behind him with a soft click, before leaning back against the smooth wood. Hunger filled scarlet eyes eagerly surveyed the gorgeous sight laid out before him, much like a child on Christmas Morn. The former spirit berated himself heartily for his foolishness, but his hand refused to move towards the lock to relieve him of his torment. He knew neither of them was truly ready to take this step in their relationship.

He should have just knocked on the door as was his original intention. But now he couldn't turn away, even though he knew that he should. It was too late.

Mind finally made up, the former Pharaoh stalked soundlessly across the room, his eyes never leaving the pale, trembling figure on the bed. He knew what he was going to do the moment he entered the room, but his conscience was still giving him all sorts of hell for the decision.

A bright glare caught the corner of his eye and Atemu briefly turned to see where it came from. It had come from somewhere towards the top of the apartment building across the street, but from which window he was unsure. Another quick flash gave him a specific direction to aim his fury. His eyes fairly glowed with the intensity of his anger. Sure enough they were being watched.

So they wanted a show, huh? Not on his watch! They had already seen enough! The royal teen shot a brutal, promising glare at what he knew were their stalkers before calling on his shadows to block the scene from their leering view

With another flick of his wrists Atemu sent a second wave of blackened tendrils out towards the watchers, sealing them into their apartment, to their doom. He would have a name by the time he was through with them, but first he needed to deal with his little one. Yugi was infinitely more important than they could ever hope to be!

Atemu turned his attention back to the boy writhing on the bed. It was clear to him that his little one was caught up in the need brought on by the drug in his drink. Ruby eyes drank in the erotic sight of Yugi's kneeling form as the boy's hips gyrated sensually against the motion of his hand.

There was a limit to the control that he held over his urges, and this had definitely passed that boundary! Carefully climbing onto the bed so as not to upset his little one's delicate balance Atemu reached out to touch the silky skin that he had denied himself ever since the boy had been found.

Oh gods what he wouldn't give to be the one to pleasure this small angelic being? To bring him to his peak, to have Yugi scream his name in the throes of passion. He would take this as slow as Yugi wanted, do whatever he had to, just for this chance to show his little one that there was more to the act of intercourse than pain and nightmares. He would turn this situation to their benefit. But that was only as long as Yugi consented to his touch.

"Enough Aibou…" Atemu purred in a husky voice as he pried the boy's hands from his body, leaning in to taste the delectable pale flesh – startling the teen with his presence. "You are being controlled...this need is not natural. It is brought on by a drug that was slipped into our drink."

Yugi's eyes shot open the moment soft lips caressed his back. Slender, slightly calloused hands exerting just enough pressure to force his hand away from his intentions. Yami? But he was supposed to have left! What was he doing here?

"N-no…don't…I need…" Yugi sobbed, trembling violently.

"Shhh…Relax little one…" Atemu eased the teen's hands away from his body before picking up the jar that was still within easy reach. "Let me help you..."

Yugi nodded shakily, willing his body to relax into the sheets as he surrendered himself to his darker half's whims, frightened and eager at the same time. He always wondered if Yami would be the commanding, tender lover that he wanted.

He needed to know if the strong, powerful image his darkness presented to the outside world would follow over to their intimate encounters. He needed to be mastered, to be possessed. For Yami to take control of his very being, to dominate him thoroughly. But he was so scared. His very form trembled beneath his darkness' ruby gaze as Yugi fought for control of his terrified thoughts.

Atemu dipped his fingertips into the gel-like substance and smeared it over his fingers, his nose wrinkling in disgust at the odd texture, before eyeing the tempting, submissive figure his Aibou presented as the boy waited willingly, silently for his next move.

The boy was shivering so hard it was shaking the bed.

"Shhh…Aibou. If you give me this chance I will go no further than you allow." Atemu whispered as he ran a gentle, soothing hand over the smaller teen's trembling form. "I will be as gentle as you need. It is your decision. If you say stop, than I will let you be."

"Love me…" Yugi whispered back in a shaky voice. "Please…? I want to know what it feels like…"

The former Pharaoh closed his eyes briefly, taking a calming breath at the words that he had so longed to hear. The sight that greeted him when he opened his eyes once again was delicious. He couldn't wait to touch, stroke, to caress that tender, silky skin. His manhood responded with a violent lurch. Sure he had never had sex before but it didn't mean he was completely ignorant on the subject. He knew what he wanted to do, where he wanted to be.

Slowly he brought his slippery fingers up against the soft skin that guarded the opening to his little one's body, his other hand coming to rest on the teen's trembling, up-raised bottom, to caress the skin tenderly. Yugi shivered, tensing the moment he touched the soft, inviting skin.

"I will not hurt you Aibou." He purred soothingly.

Yugi swallowed reflexively before uttering a whispered "I know…"

Atemu massaged the silky, pale skin for a moment before easing the tip of his finger inside the tight, warm passage with a silent moan. He could just imagine those muscles tightening around his body, holding him deep inside that velvety warmth. The blood that had rushed to his face earlier now rushed towards his lower regions with alarming swiftness.

With careful concentration Atemu eased the first finger deep inside, only to withdraw the instant he could go no further. His actions drew a pleasured sigh from the teen in front of him. Seeing that his little one wouldn't protest, he pushed back inside once again, watching intently as Yugi drew back to meet his thrust. The boy's actions brought a deep chuckle to his lips.

"You like that little one?" Atemu asked in a hoarse, teasing voice.

"Ngh…please…" Was the only response that Yugi could force past his dry lips.

Atemu continued to watch as he pleasured the beautiful teen writhing on the bed. The former spirit couldn't get over how erotic a sight it was to watch as his finger was drawn inside the boy's warmth. Almost as erotic as the feeling of having his skin enveloped and caressed by the velvety tightness surrounding that digit. He wanted more…

"N-need you…make me…want it…" Yugi sighed.

Atemu's eyes widened, his motions halting. "What?"

"Please…Yami…force…me." Yugi replied, pushing back, taking Atemu's finger to the hilt as he pleaded for the only thing he knew.

Gently Atemu drew the boy from his kneeling position, pulling Yugi up against his body as he continued to tease and torment, adding another finger on the next slow, gentle thrust. Leaning in to taste those sweet lips once before saying what needed to be said.

Breaking the kiss, Atemu tilted Yugi's tearstained face to his, locking eyes with the still healing teen, never once having broken the rhythm of his thrusts. This message needed to be heard loud and clear.

"Aibou…I will not force you. I have no need to. You will enjoy every single second of this encounter and the ones to come." Each loving word was reinforced with a simple, chaste kiss.

Yugi moaned audibly at the scorching promise those words held, leaning back against his darkness' sturdy chest. He brought his hands up behind him, pealing away the material that was covering what he sought to reach, to caress the silky textured, bronze skin, running his fingers over Atemu's sensitive flank as he writhed and squirmed against the probing fingers.

In response Atemu peppered his neck and shoulders with light, airy kisses as he cupped his backside, gently prying him apart, his fingers penetrating deeper, searching…

"Ahh-haaa!" Amethyst eyes widened as a jolt of pleasure raced up his spine.

The petite teen pushed back against the slender hand, his body searching for more of the pleasing sensations. A muffled chuckle came from behind him as Atemu lifted his lips from the mark he had been making on his neck.

"Is that the spot little one?" He whispered softly, prodding at the sensitive nub with the tips of his fingers, pleased with the shudders that rocked the boy's tiny frame as Yugi clutched at his sides, unable to keep his cries silent. "Let me hear that beautiful voice Aibou…so beautiful…so needy…"

Atemu leaned in for another taste of those luscious lips, a gentle hand on the smaller teen's stomach to hold him steady. He would never get enough of this. Yugi trembled violently in his grasp as he struck his prostate repeatedly, half lidded amethyst eyes glazed over with a sort of fearful pleasure, supple lips parted in need. Atemu attacked the boy's mouth with a frenzied abandon.

"Please…" Yugi whispered as the other broke the blazing kiss.

"As you wish little one…" Atemu replied with a chuckle. At the eager yet apprehensive look in those beautiful amethyst orbs he brought a hand up to caress the smaller teen's face tenderly. "I will not hurt you Aibou…trust in me…please."

Yugi nodded, closing his eyes briefly. "But what if I'm not…enough…for you?"

A teasing finger pressed against the teen's lips, quieting him. Atemu whispering. "Oh gods little one…how could you even think that? You are all I need! I cannot help myself…you look so fucking sexy like this, so needy! I want to watch you take me inside your body…to hear you scream my name in ecstasy."

Yugi blushed deeply at the intimate words his darkness spoke so casually, reaching out to draw the other closer as he impaled himself on those probing fingers. A gasp escaped his lips as his prostate was nailed once again. He remembered this feeling, but this time there was no pain that came with the pleasure. His body trembled, partially out of need – the other part pure fear and he turned his head to the side, allowing the tears to fall.

Atemu's response was to reach out and gently tweak one of the teen's coral nipples, teasing it into hardness as he nibbled on the pale skin that was within his reach, drawing Yugi out of the past and back into his arms. He would not allow the boy to withdraw back into those painful memories, not while he was around.

With a fleeting kiss to the tip of the boy's pert nose, Atemu withdrew his fingers and carelessly shed his clothes. At the moan of disappointment he admonished the youth. "Be still Aibou, I will give you what it is you want."

Yugi turned to watch as his darkness's bronze body was slowly revealed to him. It was as he always thought, the former Pharaoh was perfect – from the tips of his wild tricolor hair to that small thatch of dark hair that grew at his groin and on down to his gracefully arched feet. A god of sorts.

Perfect – something Yugi would never be with his used and scarred body. The small teen swallowed a wave of envy at the disappointing thought, his tearful eyes downcast.

"Don't you dare think that!" Atemu reprimanded his lighter half at the tearful look, climbing onto the bed to take the boy back into his embrace. "…I can sense those feelings little one and you are wrong! You are so beautiful to me…you remind me of a small, innocent angel who has lost his wings."

"So beautiful…" He continued as he gave a lingering kiss to each and every one of the cruel, white scars that criss-crossed the boy's back, starting at the curve of his shoulders and ending at the base of his spine. "I would do anything in my power to give you those wings back…will you let me be the one to do this? Please Aibou…"

Yugi could do no more than nod tearfully at his darkness' plea. He was shocked speechless, his entire frame trembling under the other teen's passionate words and kisses. He could feel the heat radiating off of his Yami's powerful figure as the other pressed up against him, cradling his smaller body in the safety of his strong arms.

"P-please…I need you…Y-Yami…Love me…?"

"I always have." Atemu replied, claiming those petal soft lips in a deep, loving kiss, conveying the rest of his thoughts without words.

Casually he reached over and dipped a generous amount of the slick gel onto his hand, using it to coat his length while he had the teen distracted. Bronze hands smoothed over the smaller teen's sensitive skin until they reached the cleft between his buttocks. Yugi arched against the gentle touch, spreading his legs a little further in anticipation of what was to come.

"A little eager?" Atemu chuckled, his breath sending chills crawling over Yugi's overheated body.

"Please…don't tease me…need you…" Yugi replied breathily, arching against those strong hands. "Make the nightmares go away."

"Then you shall have me." Atemu answered as he casually flipped them over so that Yugi was straddling his waist. "You are in control little one."

Yugi blinked questioningly at the reversal of positions. He had never done this before. Reaching out hesitantly, he brought his hands to the darker teen's shoulders to steady himself, losing himself in his darkness' heated ruby gaze. Warm, slender hands wrapped around his waist, guiding his motions gently.

"Are you ready?" Atemu queried.

Biting down on his lower lip, Yugi nodded hesitantly.

Seeing the uncertainty in those glorious eyes, Atemu reached up underneath the teen, caressing the silky skin in calming motions. It wasn't long before Yugi was once again arching against his fingers, reduced to a mass of pleading, quivering need, his fear almost forgotten.

Gently Atemu eased his petite lover to hover just over his swollen length. Handing control back over to the trembling teen, Atemu fought to control his urges, to let Yugi set the pace.

Yugi bit down on his quivering lip as he lowered himself down onto his lover's waiting erection. He trembled with the need to flee, and the need to fulfill his body's urges. Inch by torturous inch he could feel himself being filled, his darker half's labored breathing the only sound he could hear over the pounding of his heart.

A short, pained cry escaped his lips as he finally sank down onto the body beneath him, and the small teen found himself wrapped up in the other's crushing embrace.

"Shhh…it's alright little one…you're safe." Atemu whispered, stroking the boy's hair gently. "I am right here."

"…Yami…?" Yugi breathed tearfully, tightening his hold on the darker teen's shoulders.

"I'm here Aibou…my Aibou." Atemu whispered hoarsely, his body trembling with barely controlled desire. "This is your show little one. If it is too soon then we will stop. I want you to be comfortable…"

"NO!" The moment he heard the word stop Yugi violently protested. "I...please…kiss me…make me forget…"

Atemu chuckled. "With pleasure little one." Before brushing his lips up against Yugi's to nibble on his lower lip.

After showering his little one with light kisses he linked their hands, helping Yugi to sit up. A breathless gasp escaped his lips as the action allowed him to slip even deeper into the velvety tightness. Yugi shuddered deeply in reply, rocking his hips and creating a friction between them that almost drove Atemu to the edge.

Slowly Yugi began to move just ever so slightly, rocking his hips in time with a beat only he could hear. His head rocked back, revealing a slender, swan-like neck littered with Atemu's marks of ownership, as he let out a shuddery gasp. The ruby eyed teen sucked in a breath at the magnificent sight.

Yugi belonged to him! And he was never going to let him go!

Bronze hands came up to tease and caress the soft, pale skin, teasing the coral tinted peaks into pebble hardness. Atemu closed his eyes with a gasp as the silky warmth massaged his aching length, taking him in only to release him for a moment before starting again. This was beyond his wildest imaginings. This perfect being, this beautiful angel had consented to be his. He felt alive, whole for the first time in his existence.

The former Pharaoh knew he wasn't going to last long. The feelings were too intense, too pleasurable. But he was bound and determined to make sure that his little one crested that peak before he did. Planting the soles of his feet on the bed, Atemu drove up inside his lover's tightness. Yugi let out a gasp of surprise as the movement nailed his prostate, his eyes flying open to lock with passion glazed rubies.

"Yami!"

Sensing a difference in the texture, Atemu wrapped his arms around Yugi's waist and pulled him back down once again. A cry of pleasure was torn from the teen's mouth and Yugi gave himself over to his darkness' more demanding rhythm.

"Yami…I…oh god!"

"Come on little one…so…so beautiful!" Atemu breathed, unwilling to take his eyes off of his little one's pleasure glazed expression.

Again and again Atemu drove into his smaller lover's pliant body, seeking to pleasure the boy beyond his imagination. The air became thick with the presence of darkened, shadowy wisps as the former spirit's emotions spiraled out of control. They curled around the bed, enclosing the two lovers in their inky embrace, before fading back into nothingness once they ascertained they weren't needed.

Cries of pleasure echoed around the room as Yugi took the pounding, his body shivering continuously, his nerve endings on fire as his demanding lover mastered his body in a way he never knew possible. His eyes tightly closed, head thrown back as he gave himself over to the jolts of pleasure that raced along his nerves, making his toes curl with the overload of pleasure.

A warm hand wrapped around his so far neglected length and the small teen almost thought he had died and gone to heaven. Too far gone to even question why his lover would do that for him he succumbed to the dual assault, screaming his completion to the heavens.

Atemu followed not too long after, his body reacting violently to the increasing tightness of its silken cocoon. And with a deeper cry he spilled his seed deep inside his little one's willing form.

Yugi collapsed, spent, on top of Atemu's shivering form. The darker teen gathered the boy up into his arms and held him close, whispering praise and love into the half conscious youth's ears. As the smaller teen drifted off Atemu smoothed the sweat plastered hair out of his face to plant a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"I'm sorry Aibou." Atemu murmured. "I had wanted our first time to be perfect and it was everything but."

Yugi glanced questioningly up at his darkness' serious, regretful features, resting a gentle hand aside his face. "But it was perfect Yami…because it was you. I've been waiting for so long."

"I love you little one…I love you so much." Atemu dropped a light kiss to the palm of the hand that had been caressing his face.

"I love you too…my Yami…" Yugi whispered as he drifted off.

Atemu closed his eyes for a moment, just content to relax. As he began to drift into the world of dreams a persistent problem pulled him back to consciousness. With a harshly whispered curse he glanced down at the issue that just wouldn't leave him to his peace.

And then he became aware of Yugi's return to the land of the living as the boy began to squirm uncomfortably.

"Damn it!" Atemu hissed harshly.

What would make this go away?

Yugi's pitiful sniffles met his ears and he turned towards his Aibou.

"Need you…please…?" The teen whispered tearfully as he reached out for the comfort of his darkness.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	14. Chapter 14

(coughs) Oops, forgot 2nd half of lemon so here it is. And as a note: Bullshit politicians in our fair state need to be taught that the constitution reads BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu groaned audibly, plucking irritably at the blanket that he had pulled up over the two of them after their last lovemaking session. This was just not working. His Aibou had to be so sore right now. They had made love in every position possible…for hours now and still they had this problem! He couldn't take the boy again. That would be cruel!

"Yami…It won't go away!" Yugi sobbed, curling up in his darkness' warm, comforting embrace.

He hurt so badly. True it was almost a good hurt, but he couldn't do it again. His darker lover had been so kind, so gentle, but it didn't matter, he still hurt. They had done things he had thought possible only in dreams, but he couldn't continue.

"Shhh Aibou…we'll figure it out."

Atemu drew the boy tighter into his arms as he tried to come up with a way to solve their dilemma. An idea flitted through his mind, and the former Pharaoh almost dismissed it out of hand. But then he thought on it again. It was only fair. Yugi had given of himself so completely. Maybe it was time he shared the burden, gave a little of himself to this magnificent angel who had shared so much and never asked anything in return.

"Aibou…" With a darkening blush Atemu caught the other's attention. "I…ah, would you…ah…like to…take me?"

The words were almost a whisper and the moment he voiced them former ruler cringed. He definitely wasn't ready for this step. But Yugi hadn't been either when he'd had his innocence ripped from him. Pride demanded that he take the question back, but Atemu pushed it to the back of his thoughts as he gazed into stunned amethyst eyes when Yugi's head shot up to glance at him curiously.

"You…you would…do that?" He questioned tearfully. "…For me?"

"Little one I would do anything for you…follow you anywhere. You are my Aibou. There is nothing you could ask for that I wouldn't give!" Atemu stated as he brushed his lips across Yugi's tempting mouth.

The kiss deepened and Atemu found himself at his Aibou's mercy as a warm, moist tongue reached inside to draw his out to play. They battled for a moment before Yugi withdrew, much to the darker teen's disappointment.

Yugi glanced at him shyly from beneath the thick fringe of his lashes. "I've never done…this before."

"Neither have I little one." Atemu murmured nervously as he propped the pillows up behind them. "So we will take this step together."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked again as he fiddled with the blanket. "You would let me…do _that_…to you?"

Atemu took a moment to consider the question. The way his little one said that…he made it sound like it was a dirty, shameful act. But it couldn't be. Not after what they had just done. What they had done was beautiful. Perhaps if he let Yugi dominate him it would help the boy understand that there wasn't anything to be ashamed of.

He could feel the heat warming his face with the notion alone. His body was already hard, and the idea was turning him on even more, even as it brought color to his features. The image of his little one moving over him, making him cry out without thought, without concern, just as he had done to his little love earlier.

What harm could it do? Other than damage his already bruised pride. It _was_ his fault that they were in this predicament in the first place.

"…I am certain." Atemu let his arms fall away to his sides, leaving himself open, bare before his Aibou's curious gaze.

Yugi lifted his amethyst gaze, admiring his darkness' trim, sleek figure, afraid to do anything more. He was so out of his element. What if he hurt Yami? This would be his darkness' first time – by Yami's own admission. What if he did it wrong and hurt the gorgeous, courageous former Pharaoh.

The small teen shook his head lightly, chasing the thoughts away. His darkness had given him permission. And he wanted to so badly. He wanted to hear that deep, husky voice as Yami cried out in need, in want – for him and him alone. To return a little of the pleasure that the elegant, graceful teen had given to him. He wanted to know if he was man enough to make his darkness lose control. Or if he was destined to only be a receptacle for the darker teen's desires, a release of sorts.

Gently he reached out and caressed the sun kissed skin on his darker half's arm, stopping as the palm of his hand covered the tiny, barely visible pin-point needle tracks that had been left behind when the doctors had tried to find a suitable vein for an IV – his heart going out to the darker teen.

It must have been awful for him. So scared, not knowing what was going on…At that point the small, painfully shy teenager realized that neither of them was all that different. They both had issues that needed to be resolved. And just maybe, together, they could do it.

"Aibou?" Atemu questioned hesitantly.

His little one had been so silent, so still for so very long that he thought the boy was going to reject his offer. What was the boy thinking about? Only the smallest bit of emotion leaked over their scarcely existent link. A bit of sadness, of empathy…and of hope. What was on his little one's mind?

"I-I'm so happy that…you're well again…my Yami." Yugi finally murmured. His words almost low enough that Atemu had to lean in to catch what he was saying. "…My Yami." He repeated in the small, whispered voice, loving the sound of those words.

"That I am Aibou." Atemu replied, taking the small, pale hand between his larger ones. "I am yours to do with what you wish."

Yugi sucked in a breath at the promise, his eyes meeting with the darker teen's burning rubies. "Mine…And I'm yours?"

"Always little one." Atemu reached out and gathered the shaking teen against him. "Always…Touch me please Aibou."

As Yugi leaned in for a kiss, his mind ran over how he would have wanted his first time to be. That was how he wanted to treat his darkness. Even though it couldn't be perfect, he wanted it to be as close to it as he could make it. He wanted this to be an experience his Yami would never forget.

Gently the smaller teen pressed his darker counterpart back and down against the mattress, breaking the kiss only to push the pillows off the bed before attaching his lips to that one spot on his Yami's neck that made him shiver with delight.

After working over that spot until the other was writhing beneath him, his breath coming in gasps, Yugi worked his way down the muscular chest, paying equal attention to both of the darkened peaks until they were puckered and hard before continuing his way down to his darkness' flat, well toned stomach.

There he lingered, tasting the salty skin as he made his mark of ownership beside the dark teen's navel. The muscles quivered beneath his tongue, and he gave a quick nip to the sensitive skin, before kissing it again in apology. He had never realized that the other teen was so sensitive.

Slowly Yugi worked his way down to Atemu's hips, parting the darker teen's thighs as he moved between them, his hands following the path his mouth had taken just moments before. He already knew exactly what he wanted to do. His darkness shook and shivered beneath his grasp, soft panting sounds escaping Atemu's attempts to keep himself quiet.

That wasn't going to last long, Yugi smirked uncharacteristically to himself, he knew precisely how to provoke a response from his so far quiet Yami. Without warning he engulfed the taller teen's member, sucking him in to the hilt. Atemu arched off the bed with a cry, his entire body trembling as Yugi continued to suck him off, moving over his erection with a skill he never knew possible.

Without pausing in his mission, the smaller teen reached out with his left hand to snag the jar off the side of the bed. He quickly coated his fingers in the slippery substance while using the other hand to pull one of the muscular legs up over his shoulder, giving him access to the one place on his darkness' body that no one other than Yami himself had ever touched before.

Atemu thrashed his head from side to side, gripping the sheets tightly, his voice sounding hoarse even to his own ears. Oh gods his little one was good at this! He arched up into the waiting warmth with a low growl as he felt the boy's talented tongue wrap around the underside of his length. He shivered with the powerful feeling as that tongue proceeded to run up and down the length of his erection, searching out his most sensitive spots.

An arm across his stomach pinned him to the bed, and Atemu moaned his displeasure at being unable to move. To make up for his lack of mobility Yugi took on the burden of movement, bobbing his head up and down over Atemu's shaft, sucking him hard both ways.

The darker teen's breath hitched and he stiffened up as he became aware of something probing his entrance. The feeling was strange, almost unwelcome. But then Yugi did something amazing with his tongue and Atemu forgot what his name was, let alone what had just happened, a strangled cry escaping his mouth.

Yugi felt his darker half tense when he brought his finger up to probe at the virgin opening. Knowing that the other was getting ready to protest he swallowed, suctioning his lips to the base of the shaft as he clicked his tongue, successfully distracting his other half from what he was attempting to do. This time he gently massaged the puckered muscles that guarded the opening, letting his darkness get used to the feeling.

Atemu almost tensed again when those weird feelings returned, but whatever it was Yugi was doing with his tongue consumed his senses, making it impossible for him to focus on anything other than that hot, luscious mouth surrounding his hardness.

Eventually the darker teen became used to the unusual sensations and dismissed them altogether. But he squirmed uncomfortably when he felt a kind of pressure from below, slightly different than the feather light touches from earlier. He choked out the other's name as something penetrated his body, unable to ignore the bizarre sensations that assailed him any longer.

"Aibou!"

Yugi wasted no time, once he pushed past the ring of muscles guarding the tight channel, searching immediately for that one little spot that would quell the darker teen's objections. He knew exactly when he found it, for his partner's body trembled as if from an electrical surge. A low whine was his reward for finding that tiny bundle of nerves and he probed at it again just to hear that uncharacteristic tone issue from his darker half's lips.

'What the hell?'

It was the last thought that ran through Atemu's mind before he found himself writhing on the sheets, unable to control either his mind or his body. He shut his eyes tightly and let go, giving himself over to his little one's double assault.

Yugi added another finger and a little more force behind the thrusts of his hand, instantly gratified when his darkness cried out in a tone so unlike his normal, eloquent speaking voice, pleading for him to stop, to go faster, not knowing what it was he was seeking.

The small teen heard the other's cry only an instant before the warm channel tightened around his fingers, his mouth filling with the bitter taste of the teen's release. He released his hold on the other's hips and removed his fingers.

Atemu laid his head back against the cool sheets, his heart racing, breathing erratic. Never had he felt anything so powerful, so very pleasurable – and earlier he thought he had done just about everything. It defied reason, what his Aibou had just done to him.

Swallowing with some difficulty he leaned his head up, searching out the smaller teen just in time to see him licking his lips for that last bit he had missed. The sight was so erotic the former Pharaoh could feel himself hardening once again.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked as he crawled his way up Atemu's trembling form, seeking a kiss.

His darker half was definitely sensitive. He had never heard that tone come forth from those lips before. And he found himself wondering just how sensitive his Yami was.

Atemu brought the small teen down on top of him, their lips meeting in a tender kiss as their bodies met with a jolt of electricity. "I am fine Aibou. Are you alright? You were amazing!"

"I'm fine." Yugi replied breathlessly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I've never been more certain." Atemu whispered before claiming those pliant lips in a demanding kiss.

They broke the kiss and Yugi reached over to grab the jar of Vaseline. Once he had it in his hands Atemu stilled his movements, taking the jar from his grasp.

"Let me little one."

Yugi nodded his assent and before he knew it one of those slender, bronze hands was wrapped around his length, pleasuring him with soft, gentle strokes. With what was left of his control he pushed the hand away, capturing it before it could fall to the sheets, to bring it to his lips for a quick kiss.

When Yugi released his hand Atemu positioned both of them by his head in a submissive pose. "Gods just fuck me Aibou!" He whispered throatily, closing his eyes. What the hell was with him today?

Yugi just about lost it there. The picture his darkness presented with his hands curled beside his head, practically begging to be fucked into the mattress was almost too much. He quickly positioned himself at the entrance to his other half's body. Pushing forward ever so slightly he groaned as the muscles parted to allow him entry into the warm, tight channel.

Atemu froze. What had he gotten himself into? The object that was trying to enter him now was so much bigger than the slender fingers that his Aibou had teased him with earlier. He took a deep breath and willed his body to relax; knowing instinctively that it would hurt a hell of a lot more if he tensed up. A burning pain shot through his system as Yugi's length slowly filled him and he barely stifled his cry of pain.

It seemed as though his little one had already known that he hurt, for Yugi stilled. "Do you want to stop?" He questioned softly, smoothing the matted hair out of his darkness' scrunched features.

"No…" Atemu breathed. "I am alright…"

The petite teen leaned in to claim the other's mouth in a tempting kiss, pulling the other's concentration away from the sting of his entry. The action allowed him to sheathe himself fully before Atemu broke the kiss to cry out. His darkness was so tight! God it felt so wonderful. If only it didn't have to hurt. He disliked seeing his other half in pain.

"It's okay…shhhh…the hard part's over." He whispered.

They stayed that way for a few moments, both teens trembling in each other's embrace, their breathing heavy and unstable as their lips sought out each others. Atemu's arms came up to wrap around Yugi's shoulders, pulling him down until their bodies were completely connected, chest to chest, hip to hip, Yugi's length firmly cocooned in Atemu's warmth.

The smaller teen shifted atop his larger counterpart and in doing so happened to strike Atemu's prostate.

"Gods little one…move please!" Atemu growled.

The pain had receded to something of a minor annoyance and the former spirit was more than ready to find out what his little one had planned for him. He was, however, unprepared for the slick, pulling sensation as Yugi slipped away from him and he arched up, following the other's movements in an attempt to draw him back inside.

And then he was being filled once again, as Yugi slid back up inside of him. He shivered, scarlet eyes closing in bliss as the boy repeated his motions, creating a pleasing friction deep inside his body. He craved more of this pleasant feeling and on the next gentle thrust he rose up to meet his little one's movements.

As inexperienced as Yugi was at being on this side of the relationship he knew there was no way he was going to last for any length of time. And he had so wanted this to be perfect for his Yami! He would be lucky if he could find that tiny bundle of nerves before he came.

The very feeling of those silken walls as they caressed his length was sending him closer and closer to the edge without him being able to do a thing about it. If he could just hold out for a little longer…He shifted experimentally and was rewarded with a loud, unrestrained cry from his dark lover. Now that he had found the spot he was searching for he aimed for it with every thrust.

Atemu's breathy cries were coming continuously as Yugi pounded into his willing body. Every thrust, each shift of his Aibou's body sent a jolt of pleasure racing through his system. Droplets of sweat covered his neck and his chest from where it dripped from the younger teen's hair. But Atemu didn't even notice, he was too far gone.

The dark teen wrapped his legs around Yugi's waist in an attempt to draw him in even deeper and Yugi drove into him forcefully, shaking the mattress and bouncing the headboard off the wall. The breathy cries became louder, more insistent with each forceful thrust. Over the noise they were making the duo just barely heard someone yell at them to tone it down.

But the oh so polite request was ignored as the two lovers movements became even more forcefully erratic. Yugi reached between the two of them and grabbed a hold of Atemu's erection, stroking him roughly along with their motions. It didn't take long before the dark teen screamed loudly, his seed hitting both their stomachs as he trembled and shook from the power of his orgasm.

Yugi's eyes rolled back into his head as the silken walls tightened around his length and he soon followed his dark lover, releasing deep inside the other's shivering body. He collapsed into a boneless heap on top of Atemu's trembling form and there they stayed, too exhausted to move.

This time there was no cuddling, no soft, whispered words of praise and adoration. No whispered regrets or apologies for not being perfect. In fact, not a peep was heard from either of them as they both slipped off into unconsciousness.

Ten minutes after the screams had stopped Bakura had managed to break the lock on the door to the room. But neither of the boys in bed moved a muscle. The white haired thief stared down at his friends with a quirky smile for a moment before picking up one of the blankets that had landed on the floor and wrapping it around the sleeping duo.

"Bakura…what happened? Are they okay?" Ryou poked his head in the doorway, only to duck back out. "…Wow, this room smells like sex!"

Bakura chuckled. "Yeah, they'll be okay. They're just sleeping. Hell I would be too if I fucked like that! Damn, I'm impressed!"

"Bakura!" Ryou's face turned a bright shade of red.

"Well…? What did you want me to say? We heard them downstairs!"

The smaller white haired teen shook his head. "So what do we do now?"

"Simple…" Bakura grinned. "We wait for them to wake up…Hey Ryou…Hon…are you hungry?"

"But I thought Marik already left…yeah…now that you mention it, I'm starved!" Ryou replied, before rethinking his comment. "Oh…no, I mean I'm gonna go and whip us up some lunch…god, not what you were thinking! We'll do that later!"

"Damn…"Bakura mumbled. But he was only talking to himself by that point, for his blushing little one had already ducked out of the room and was, by now, half way down the stairs.

The white haired thief stared out the window, looking up at the complex across the alley with a malicious smirk. He had had his fun last time without interference. This time he would wait for Atemu before heading over to deal with those scum. Let Marik have a little fun. His blonde friend had already complained that he hadn't gotten the chance to play. That it was his turn this time.

But he was rather curious to see what kinds of games his devious partner in crime could come up with if left on his own for an extended period of time. Oh well, he could wait for Atemu.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: rather violent chap – you have been warned. :D

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The former Pharaoh awoke with a start, only to find his movements restricted by a thoroughly passed out Yugi curled up on top of him much like a small, devoted pet. He shifted with a quiet hiss of discomfort, dislodging his sleeping lover from his comfy location, and gently coaxing the boy down next to him before placing a tender kiss on the tip of his nose. Yugi twitched once before settling into this new arrangement with a relaxed sigh, never once waking from his peaceful slumber.

The darker teen gave a tiny half smile at the precious sight. His little one was so beautiful, how anyone could even think to…Atemu slowly turned his head, his once calm, contented scarlet eyes now focused solely on the apartment complex across the alley with a deadly glow as he was reminded of exactly how they came to be in this predicament.

Oh what he was going to do when he got his hands on those two bastards! The former Pharaoh prayed to any gods listening that Yugi wouldn't revert to his earlier behavior after what they had done this afternoon. He had worked so hard to bring the boy back to his former self; he had no intentions of letting him relapse.

Certain, rather graphic mental images of two men begging for mercy on their hands and knees propelled the former spirit out of his momentary contemplation and he launched himself out of the bed with the full intention of tormenting the people that cruelly drugged them merely for the purpose of entertainment. Well, he would show them entertainment alright!

"Ack!"

When his still trembling legs refused to support his weight, the former spirit dropped straight to the floor in an undignified heap with a yelp of dismay. Damn that hurt! Was he supposed to be _this_ sore?

Atemu rubbed his tender backside with a groan and reached out to use the bed to pull himself to his feet. But when he glanced up he caught what had to be the cutest sight he had ever laid eyes on. His cry woke Yugi, sort of. The boy was leaning over the bedside, rubbing at his drowsy amethyst eyes with a silent yawn.

The former spirit sat back, wrapping his arms around his knees to watch his Aibou for a moment longer. It was a rare moment to catch the little one like this and he intended to enjoy it as long as possible. Besides, his prey wasn't going anywhere.

"Yami…?" Yugi questioned sleepily. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"I fell…"He replied with a blush, ashamed to have been caught sprawled out on the floor completely nude. When he caught the questioning look in those glorious amethyst eyes he started rambling uncomfortably, his eyes sliding away from the teen's face to fix on a spot by the bottom of the bed, his face now resembling the setting sun. "I was, ah…wasn't paying attention…"

"What?" Yugi's eyes opened widely as he jerked into a sitting position, finally understanding what his darkness was trying to say. "Are you…"

"I am fine Aibou. Let me tuck you back in bed. You look exhausted and I know you have to be sore." Atemu reached out to grab one of the blankets on the floor to cover his nakedness.

"No…really, I need to get up." Yugi insisted, with an exaggerated shudder, his pert nose wrinkling in disgust. "I feel all sticky and…yuck! I need a shower!"

The darker teen raised an eyebrow at the comment, wondering how it was that the boy felt good enough to even want to be out of bed. Especially when he himself felt like he had been run over by a Mack truck! Considering past circumstances, he would have thought his little one to be a little more reticent, a little more skittish than the way he was acting now. The boy was bordering on perky – a manner that Atemu never would have thought his little one to display.

"If you insist on getting up and around…Why not take one together?" He asked hesitantly, his face blooming with color. The former spirit was still feeling a little self-conscious after what they had done earlier. Never having been intimate with anyone before, the normally confident teen was unsure how to act now that his lover was awake.

Yugi didn't seem to notice the hesitation though as he stretched with a groan of discomfort before leaning over the side of the bed and holding out a hand for his darkness to take – reminding Atemu of another time entirely, when they had both been in the exact same position. "That sounds like a good idea Yami. Let me help you up. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am fine Aibou, really." Atemu nodded, grasping the hand, and pulling himself painfully from his awkward position on the floor.

"Then maybe you should rethink your method of getting out of bed. It's gotta be painful ending up on the floor all the time." The small teen replied loftily, letting Atemu know that he wasn't alone in recalling the incident. The former spirit grinned widely, provoking a similar response from his smaller double.

"I will have to do that little one." Atemu chuckled.

Once they were both firmly standing on their feet he pulled the boy to him and leaned in for a soft kiss before wrapping them both up in the blanket and guiding him out of the room. A hot shower sounded so good to the sore teen. There wasn't a muscle in his body that wasn't screaming out in pain.

The pair limped carefully to the bathroom and proceeded to wash each other clean of the evidence of their prior activities, both entirely too sore to indulge in any more than soft kisses and gentle caresses as they washed. By the time they were finished the bathroom was filled with a thick steam from their scorching shower and they had to open the door fully in order to clear the mirrors of the moisture that had settled on the surface. They dressed carefully so as not to agitate their injuries any further before both making their way stiffly down the steps.

When they finally made it down to the main floor to peek into the living room, it was to find that not only was Bakura leaning against the wall, looking pleased as punch, but that Jou, Seto, Malik, Ryou, Honda, Serenity, Anzu, Duke…Rebecca (?) and Mokuba (?) had all gathered there as well. And that Ryou, in his boredom, had made an entire four course meal – complete with a bottle of red wine, compliments of Grandpa Motou's not so secret stash.

The smirking grey eyed youth was the first to break the silence as he strode confidently up to the two tricolor haired teens and dropped to his knees as if to worship at their feet. "I bow to your awesome sexual prowess. You two are the masters! Please let this unworthy child learn at your feet…"

"Mokuba!" Seto practically shouted, his jaw hanging open.

"What?" The boy exclaimed with an innocent expression as he turned to face his elder sibling. "I'm old enough! I want to know how to make _my_ girlfriend scream like that."

Everyone else in the room quickly covered their snickering behind their hands, pretending not to notice that the color of both Yugi and Atemu's faces now matched the tips of their tricolor hair. Rebecca gave a choked gasp before hiding her face in her thick sweater.

"Ignore him… (snicker)…He's just trying to get…(cackle)…get back a Seto for covering his ears." Jou laughed as he pulled the black haired teen to his feet and back towards the couch. "Come on kiddo, you weren't supposed to hear any of that."

"What? It's not as if I don't hear you and my big brother going at it all hours of the night!" The young teen protested, much to Jou and Seto's dismay. "I just want to learn their technique too; that way me and Becca can mix it up a bit!"

"WHAT?" Seto and Jou roared at the same time.

But any comment the young teen was about to make was cut off when a thoroughly red faced Rebecca grabbed at her boyfriend's hand, pulling him down to whisper furiously in his ear.

Atemu groaned, covering his quickly reddening face with his hands before schooling his features into a blank mask as he moved fully into the room, pulling a reticent Yugi behind him. The former Pharaoh was so hoping that the Mokuba's comment would be the last one he and his little one would have to endure. How much had he and the others heard? How long had they been here?

The darker teen's questions were answered as soon as he guided his little lover over to a chair that had been set up beside a makeshift table laden with various aromatic dishes, as the rest of the group greeted them with a chorus of cheers and ribald comments.

Apparently they heard everything.

Yugi ducked his head, hiding his blushing face in Atemu's shirt when Jou praised him a second time for his darkness' loud performance. Atemu's face once again turned the color of a ripe cherry as well, but he refused to acknowledge his embarrassment, instead seeking out Bakura's knowing gaze, one elegant brow raised in question.

The white haired teen merely accepted the silent reprimand for gathering the entire group together, only commenting that he felt the need for reinforcements. Atemu shook his head with a forced chuckle, his grip on Yugi tightening ever so slightly. The smaller teen looked up with a questioning glance, but the former Pharaoh shook his head again, indicating that nothing was amiss.

Then the taller white haired teen brought up the subject that had been on Atemu's mind ever since he walked into the room. "I take it that it's time?"

"It has gone beyond that point" Atemu replied with a lethal glare, heedless of who heard the comment.

The former ruler knew for certain that whatever they spoke of would never leave this room. Their group had stuck together through everything that life had thrown at them before. It would be no different now. He trusted each and every person in the room with his – and his Aibou's – life. Just as they had trusted in him when their lives were in danger.

"Time for what?" Yugi asked as he gazed up at his lover's now stony expression.

"Reciprocation." Malik replied with a malicious grin. "Can I help?"

"One of those R words anyways…and no, well, not right now anyways." Bakura grinned. "We'll let you know when you're needed. This is something the three of us need to see through."

"Bummer." Malik retorted as he flopped back onto the couch with a sigh, saddened at the thought of missing out on what would probably be a rather macabre experience. For what they did to his friend, he would gladly be a part of the payback.

"What about us?" Jou, along with Duke and Honda pouted.

Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Can't we help?" Jou finished.

"We will need everyone's help at a later point, but for now I would prefer to keep this as simple as possible." The taller tricolor haired teen stated.

"Oh." Jou replied. "Just let us know when and where. We'll be there for ya, man."

"You can count on it." Duke seconded.

The royal teen nodded regally, accepting their pledge with a murmur of appreciation. The possibility of needing their aid was more than likely, depending on exactly how many people made up this kidnapping ring. And he was not above asking for help, if needed.

"Where is Marik?" Atemu asked, the near calmness just now dawning on him as he glanced around nervously at all of the people in the room, half expecting Malik's rather insane dark half to just pop up out of nowhere with a raunchy comment or two. Everyone else had had a turn, why not him as well?

"Oh, he's already started." Bakura replied with a careless shrug. "He wanted to have a little fun with them before we got down to business."

"He what?" Atemu's eyes widened. "Please tell me he left enough for us to collect some information…"

"Relax _Your Highness_…he's not going to go too far. He promised." Bakura replied with a smirk. "This is your fight. We just want to have a little fun."

At Bakura's assurance Atemu turned to Yugi, staring down into anxious amethyst eyes as he tenderly brushed the hair out of the boy's face. "Aibou…I know that you do not want to be left alone…And I would never do that to you. But would you mind too terribly if I wandered across the street for a few moments? Your friends are here and I am quite certain that they would enjoy your company, if you are up to it."

"You knew all along…" Yugi had been waiting apprehensively for his darkness to ask permission from the moment the conversation steered towards retaliation. The small teen searched his lover's ruby eyes for the truth. "You're going after them, aren't you?"

"Yes little one, I knew. And I understand the reasons for your silence. But know this…I will not allow them to take you from me. They will die first."

"But I don't want you to get hurt…"

Bakura broke into the conversation before Atemu could form a suitable reply. "Trust me Yugi; he's not the one who's going to hurt."

"But what if the cops find out…?" The small teen sniffed. "I don't want you to be…I don't want you to be taken from me! I don't know what I would do!"

Atemu drew the little one into his arms, holding the shaking teen tightly. "Then I will give them no cause to come after us Aibou. Do you trust in us enough to let us do this…to let us be your tool for justice?"

Small hands tightened in the fabric of Atemu's tight black shirt, shaking violently as Yugi fought to voice his question. He didn't want anything to happen to his darkness. He couldn't lose him. But he couldn't let those men continue to ruin innocent lives without repercussions.

He understood the others' need to defend him. He had felt it before, when he first heard the heartbroken cries of the younger kids from inside his terrifying prison; it was that protective instinct – and Yami's hauntingly beautiful ruby eyes – that kept him going for so long before they finally were able to break him.

"Just promise me…when you go after _him_…I want to be there!"

"Yugi!"

The vehemence with which the statement was spoken surprised everyone in the room. Yugi never talked like that! He was always the first person to forgive someone who had done him wrong. It was just one more reason that Atemu and the others had to obliterate those who had destroyed his little one's innocence.

"May I ask why?" Atemu tilted the boy's face to his, their eyes meeting.

"I-I want…want to be there…when you…when you free the others…" Fat tears rolled down the teen's face, his body trembling with emotion.

"There are others?" Once again more than one voice was heard with that comment.

"Yeah…" Yugi wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Lots…I saw them every once in a while…heard them more than…I saw them…I couldn't help…them…I…tried…it's what got me into trouble…"

"Son of a bitch!" Atemu exclaimed, tightening his hold on his little one while he glared pointedly at Bakura, the rest of the group digesting the appalling information with looks of dismay.

He hadn't known about that. None of them had. Hadn't had any real reason to think on it, being so wrapped up in his little one's return to reality. But it made sense that Yugi wasn't the only one. Damn it!

"I'm with you on that one!" Bakura growled as he spun on his heel and headed towards the door while the rest of the group voiced their opinions as to which torture method would be best. "I think it's time for a little Q and A."

Atemu brought a gentle hand up to Yugi's face. "I love you Aibou…with all of my heart. Go be with your friends. I will be back when we are finished."

Yugi leaned up and the two shared a tender, heartfelt kiss that brought out a couple of coos from their audience, before Atemu straightened and stalked out of the room after his white haired friend.

Yugi gave one last, longing glance at his darker half's retreating form before glancing anxiously back at his friends. The small teen fiddled with the fabric of his shirt, uncomfortable without his darker half at his side. He really hoped that nothing would go wrong and Yami would come back to him. He didn't know what to say, how to act without his darkness' loving guidance.

Earlier, when Yugi had first woken up he was okay with the time they had spent together. After all, the small teen had dreamed of a night like that for so long – even before his kidnapping. The nightmares had left him alone, his sleep only bringing back the blissful memories of him and Yami together, and so he had woken up in great spirits.

But now Yugi was trembling fiercely, unsure of how he would be received by those he had always looked upon as friends. Would the others make fun of him for giving in to those urges now that Yami was nowhere in sight?

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Jou gently ushered his small friend into the living room, pushing a plate of food into his shaking hands. Once Yugi was sitting comfortably, the blonde energetically set about to relieving the small teen of the burden of conversation as he caught him up on everything that had gone on since they last saw each other.

And in no time Yugi was starting to enjoy being with his friends, but he still couldn't keep from worrying over his darker half's wellbeing…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The door to the apartment protested their entry with only the smallest of creaks. Bakura and Atemu glanced at each other once before making their way inside, knowing now that no amount of noise that they made would draw any attention to their presence. The place already sounded like a zoo – smelled like one too.

As casually as he could, the former Pharaoh brought a slender, bronze hand up to his face, pinching his nose against the stench that assailed both him and Bakura the moment they crossed the threshold. Cries and snarled, animalistic curses met their ears. What the hell was that?

"Gods this place reeks!" Bakura commented waving his hand over his face as he coughed and gagged.

The whole apartment smelled like sex, but that wasn't the only odor present. Body odor and a large dose fear mixed in along with the rest of the putrid stench, as well as an underlying nastiness behind each of those rancid smells. And maybe even a little…

"Marik!" Atemu and Bakura stopped in their tracks, gaping when they spied their friend lounging comfortably in one of the overstuffed armchairs, his leg thrown over the side as he grinned back at them unrepentantly.

"Gods man what the hell have you been doing up here for the past five hours?" Bakura gawked at the scene. "This place smells like sex…shit and sex. It's disgusting!"

"Hello ladies…and welcome to my puppet show! Let me introduce Thing One and Thing Two. A couple of the nastiest cocksuckers you'll ever meet." Marik grinned back at them. "I figured since you all were otherwise occupied I would practice my skills as a puppeteer. It's what I always wanted to be when I was a kid!"

As the two teens peered curiously around the bulk of the chair they immediately noticed that there were two sweaty, sniveling men lying naked on the floor, one on top of the other, both intimately joined. There was blood and bits of other matter surrounding the duo as they writhed around on the not so white carpet. The one being taken was crying piteously for release, just as the man on top was snarling threats and insults at the newcomers.

"Hey! I didn't tell you to stop!" Marik raised the Millennium rod and pointed it in their direction. "Get to it!"

For a moment Atemu thought he heard a couple of new curse words uttered in his direction, but he turned a deaf ear on both the pleas and the curses in favor of giving Marik a questioning glance, and having his own expression returned right back to him.

"Gods! That's disgusting!" The former Pharaoh shook his head at his friend's denseness. "Marik! I never knew you had voyeuristic tendencies!"

"Yeah…and I never knew you took it up the ass!" Marik shot back with a smirk.

Atemu snorted, folding his arms over his chest to level a glare at the grinning blonde. Apparently The Thief's mouth had been running on overtime! "And you don't?"

The platinum blonde gave a loud chuckle.

"Gods this stench is killin' me! Makes me want to puke!" Bakura brought his hands up to his neck, mimicking a choking sound, with a shiver. "How long have they been at it?"

"Oh about five hours give or take. I've been making them swap back and forth every hour or so. Thing One shit…it's so gross." Marik chuckled, turning his attention to the white haired teen. "I made him go all ATM on the other after he did it."

"Got that right…" Bakura griped, holding his nose, before his curious gaze shot over to Marik. "...ATM? What the fuck does that mean?"

"Ass to mouth" Marik replied with a vicious laugh. "Like watching a train wreck…completely horrifying, but you can't turn away."

Bakura's eyes widened and he swallowed reflexively to keep the taste of bile out of his throat. "You did not? Marik that's fuckin' nasty"

"Are we going to play around all day or get down to business?" Atemu questioned, his face taking on a greenish hue. He was quite certain that he did not want to know what else his psychotic friend had been up to in their absence.

There was no need for an accounting…truly.

"Oh…by all means Your Highness, I was just waiting for you. And having a little fun while I was at it." Marik rose gracefully from the chair and extended a hand as he backed away from the doomed men. "They're all yours."

Atemu stepped up in front of his friend and got a closer look at something he never wanted to see again. Ever in his life. Both men were out of shape, pits and pock-marks littered their overlapping bellies as they moved, grinding mechanically against each other. The sight made him literally sick to his stomach. To think that these two men had hurt his little one!

"ENOUGH!" He snapped as shadowy wisps surrounded his shaking, enraged form, the eye of Horus glowing brightly on his forehead. How dare these men touch his Aibou! This would be the last time they ever preyed on the innocent, he would make sure of it.

The former Pharaoh pointed towards the corners of the room and the shadows obeyed his furious command, forcing the two men apart with so much raw power that they each hit the opposing wall hard.

The man nearest to Atemu hit with enough force to leave a bright red smear of blood on the white paint before sliding to the floor in a crumpled heap, coming to a rest on the carpet almost at his feet. Atemu sneered disdainfully at him, watching as the man unsuccessfully attempted to gather his legs underneath him. How pitiful!

"You had better hope you got friends…" The other man growled as he pulled himself to his knees, cradling the back of his injured head in his arms. "Cause when we get our hands on you little punks…"

The man's diatribe stopped as soon as he looked up and realized just who it was that he was staring at. His jaw dropped, and for a moment he kneeled there gaping like a fish out of water. This was the boy they had targeted earlier? His body trembled violently as he stared into those demonic, intensely glowing red eyes; quite sure that he was seeing his death.

"You'll what?" Atemu snarled menacingly.

When a suitable reply wasn't forthcoming the former spirit sauntered over towards the one man that was able to speak, an eyebrow raised in question. "When you get your hands on us, you'll what?" He questioned again. "From where I stand, you will do nothing! You are cowards! Cowards who prey on those unable to defend themselves! You think you can hurt me? Bring it! Come on coward…play a game with me! If you dare…"

At the word coward, the man adopted a shaky fighter's stance, enraged. "I'M NOT A COWARD!" He roared as he charged Atemu like a rampaging bull.

"Atemu!" Bakura and Marik shouted, hastily making their way over to protect the former Pharaoh from harm.

But the ruby eyed teen stood his ground, waiting until the man was within reach before bringing a powerful fist around to glance a blow off of the man's thick neck, catching him in the throat and damaging his windpipe. The motion sent the man reeling backwards as he brought his hands up to his throat and Atemu grabbed the back of his head, bringing it down to meet with his knee. The heavy man crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"What the fuck?" Marik questioned as he skidded to a halt not two feet from where Atemu was standing. "Where the hell did you learn that?"

Bakura whistled. "Wow, I'm impressed! You're fighting skills have come a long way for such a scrawny, little shit."

Atemu grimaced, wiping the backs of his hands on his jeans to rid them of the blood before glancing over at his friends. "I've always known how to fight. You two just happened to catch me at a disadvantage that day."

The trio glanced over at the man that had been foolish enough to think he could prevail in a clash against Atemu. The man twitched and convulsed on the floor as his body fought for air, his wheezing breaths making the three teens think that his final moments were upon him.

"I meant to strike him in the head." Atemu muttered, frustrated.

Bakura glanced over to the twitching man's partner, who at this moment quite resembled an ant with its head smashed as he crawled around on the floor, unable to pick his head up after being bounced off the wall with such force.

"Pity." The white haired thief murmured as he pointed at the bleeding man. "I think that one's brain damaged. Way to go Atemu…did you forget we needed that information?"

The former Pharaoh gasped involuntarily as his gaze switched between both suffering men. This wasn't what he intended! He had only wanted to show these two what happened when they went up against someone a little more powerful than those they were used to preying on. Damn it! Who knew that these pedophiles could be so fragile? He had figured them to be tougher than that. Hell even Ushio had more stamina than these two losers!

"They're not going to die." Marik commented casually as he leaned against the blood smeared wall. "At least not yet. See, Thing One is breathing again. And Thing Two might be brain damaged, but it's just his motor skills that are affected. I can hear him cussing and whining very clearly from here, though it does sound a little garbled – and I think he just said 'fuck' backwards."

"What do you propose we do with them?" Atemu asked in an irate tone. If he couldn't torment them, then how were they supposed to learn who their true enemy was?

"I got an idea." Bakura spoke up as he grabbed the unconscious man by his collar and dragged him over to his partner.

Picking the other man up as carefully as he could, the former thief shuddered when the man's head lolled around on his shoulders. If he had to take a guess, Bakura would have said his neck was definitely broken, but the injury hadn't paralyzed him...yet. The broken man squirmed weakly, uttering feeble, barely intelligible curses, but was unable to free himself of the white haired teen's tight grasp.

Bakura dragged the duo over to the middle of the room and deposited them on the floor, arranging them to his satisfaction. Once they were both facing the same direction the former thief duct taped their heads together to hold the one upright before tying their hands behind their backs. He had managed to keep from being bitten by the one who was still conscious, but he still came away from the pair with a couple of minor scratches for his troubles. Once he was finished he glanced back over at his friends.

"So…are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He grinned maliciously.

"Mind fuck!" Atemu and Marik chorused with matching smirks.

Bakura nodded as he nudged the unconscious man a little harder than necessary. "Come on dickhead…wake up!"

The man was jolted awake with a solid kick to his naked, painful rear, fear visible in his intelligent hazel eyes as his gaze met with the three teens towering over him. His body shuddered violently as he fought to control his terror. Somehow, when he spied his partner's brainless, glazed expression he managed to gain control over his fear, glaring right back at his captors.

"Pfft!" Atemu snorted. "I would suggest you mind your manners freak."

"What are you?" Grunt rasped at the ruby eyed teen insolently.

"Perhaps someone you ought not to have fucked with?" The tricolor haired teen answered with an imperial air. "Why don't you take the time to figure it out yourself, you are so intelligent?"

"You won' ge' 'way with thish! Shomeone will come afther yous!" The other man cried in a slurred voice, giving Atemu a self-satisfied if not somewhat dim look which was answered with a stony, silent glare as the pissed off teen refused to comment.

"Oh how cliché! _Someone'll come after you. I got people_!" Bakura mocked. "What-fuckin'-ever! I doubt you're so high and mighty."

"So…tell us…why are you so confident that you will be missed if we erase the evidence of your existence on this earth?" Atemu questioned with a growl, thinking to prod the men into confessing if he pricked at their self-importance. "From where I sit you are nothing but scum. Unwanted…useless…Who would want to protect you?"

Grunt grinned superiorly, refusing to take the bait. "Oh, we got people alright. But I ain't tellin' you who."

"I beg to differ" Bakura sang. "Okay boys…its story time. Think of this as one of those moral fairy tales…you know, the ones with a point at the end."

The white haired thief closed his eyes, raising his arms to the heavens as he whispered a soft plea.

The shadows deepened slowly, sucking out what little light was left in the room. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, everything disappeared into a black void almost as if leaving the two men suspended in midair. The inky blackness swirled and danced as it cocooned the two men in its infinite embrace.

Out of the corner of their eyes, the pair of pedophiles caught sight of Atemu's demonic, glowing red eyes, Marik's violet eyes gleaming with a malevolent brightness right along side them in the darkness – making for a truly nightmarish vision. The men both shivered violently at the sight, but refused to back down.

But then something began to take shape in the middle of the inky void. Both men's eyes widened comically when a hazy figure appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, out of focus at first, but clearing as the time went on. The man appeared to be on his knees, begging for something as the tears coursed down the sides of his face. His eyes were positively terrified as he stared back up at whatever was tormenting him.

"_No…I didn't mean to…Please…don't do this…!"_

"I think you might have even known our little pet here…" Bakura's voice carried over the noise as the figure began to squirm and cry out with more force. "His name is Aloysius Moran. He was a doctor at one point in his wretched life."

"_Please don't do this!"_

"What do you want from us?" Grunt hollered, thoroughly freaked out by the sight of the doctor, or whoever he was, with a knife held in his trembling hands. He could barely make out some slight movement in the black void, out of the corner of his eyes, and that movement worried him to no end.

"A name…an address. Who sent you?" Atemu's voice floated to them from the swirling shadows. "Tell us and death shall come swiftly."

"Go to hell!" The pedophile answered in a high pitched shriek as the shadows advanced on his shaking form, surrounding him and his partner to nibble painfully on their exposed skin. "You fucking freak!"

"Tch…that's no way to talk to someone who holds your miserable little lives in their hands." Marik's mocking voice joined in as the cries for mercy reached fever pitch – both from the figure in the center of the void as well as the two men that the shadows were feasting on.

Atemu waved the bothersome shadows away from their victims, and after a moment or two the figure in the center of the void once again commanded the tormented pair's undivided attention as it squirmed and shrieked, crying out for a mercy that was never delivered.

The two pedophiles were mesmerized as the unfortunate doctor began to reach a shaky into his own mouth, muffling his cries. One trembling hand pulled his tongue out for the other one to go to work with the knife. Horrified shrieks echoed off the inky blackness making the two men tremble in fear. The wet sound of someone pissing was heard set against the backdrop of screams and wails.

Once again the royal teen waved the shadows back in to begin their assault. This time they took a little more than just nibbles. And soon both the figure and the two tormented child molesters were screaming in unison. After waiting for what he deemed a reasonable amount of time Atemu waved the shadows off of the men as they twitched and shook from the pain.

Their screams quieted to sobs and hiccups as the figure in the center once again took up everyone's attention.

"This is what happens when you cross us." Bakura began again, heedless of the high pitched, animalistic screams that volleyed through the air from the tortured figure. "And what will happen to you should you remain obstinate. Think carefully, the time for your decision is almost upon you."

The ghostly figure now had copious amounts of blood trailing down his chin, mixing in alongside the tears he had shed. But his hands were not idle as one began to saw mercilessly at the other one with the dull, serrated blade. Neither of the bound men could take their eyes off the spectacle, their faces draining of all blood as they continued to watch the figure saw at his hand.

"Have you chosen?" Atemu asked.

Both bound men sobbed pitifully at the sound of the former Pharaoh's commanding voice.

"He is not dead, if that is what you think." Bakura commented idly. "We had no reason to kill him. He is not the target. Our crackpot doctor now lives the life that he would have condemned Yugi to had he the authority. He will never talk, never return to reality. His soul is all but broken."

"Do you want to end up like him…or will you choose to save yourselves this torment?" Marik questioned.

"Your time is up." Atemu stated with icy finality.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	16. Chapter 16

So sorry for the…what, almost 3 month delay. Mother Nature doesn't seem to like me very well since she took out my computer, and I've been playing hell trying to get the parts to put it back together. But if finally worked and I'm back in business. :D I'll resume my updating schedule with the exception of WSHB and THaB – since I seem to be lacking chapters. Oh well, back to the drawing board, at least these ones are whole and complete, they just need to be updated. Thanks for those of you who stuck with me. I appreciate it.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"It is finished." Atemu stated wearily as he dropped back against the wall with a dull thud.

Holding his hands out before his face, the former Pharaoh realized that his entire body had not ceased its violent trembling brought about by the earlier adrenaline rush. He took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm his madly beating heart as he glanced back at the empty spot on the floor where the two miscreants had lain not so long ago.

The royal teen ran over in his mind some of what had been revealed during their last game with no small amount of disbelief and righteous indignation. He honestly couldn't believe what those two perverted, mindless cretins (and their _friends_) were capable of – until he had heard the deeds straight from their mouths.

Those two depraved imbeciles had, without a doubt, deserved every last bit of what he and the gruesome twosome had dished out tonight. And were still highly deserving of whatever punishments the shadows had in mind. He had made the right decision. But in a way he still felt cheated.

"Yep." Bakura sighed loudly as he too sagged against the wall for support. "Finished."

"I expected them to have lasted a little longer." The tired royal replied wistfully. "There were so many excellent games that I had wanted to introduce them to. Truth or dare was a good one though…"

"Keh…yeah, I thought so too." Bakura replied with an exhausted chuckle.

"What…you expected them to last the entire night after what you did to them?" Marik snorted as he joined his friends in holding up the wall. "You damn near killed them in the first five minutes you were here."

The former Pharaoh sighed again. He knew Marik was right, that he had come on far too strong. But he had expected a worthy opponent, not this rubbish. He had never felt such an absolute, all-encompassing rage, not even in all the times that he had defended his Aibou from bullies and other aggressors – and he vented it accordingly. It just didn't feel as though he had done enough.

Had those two men had been given to him at the beginning of his imprisonment in the puzzle the former spirit doubted that he would have been able to vent his full wrath on them in the time allotted. What he and the others had learned over the course of this night had increased his fury to almost impossible heights.

And in the end he had grown tired of hearing about the horrific tortures that they had inflicted on innocent children and quite simply put the two mangled, half dead pedophiles out of their misery – as they had repeatedly begged for towards the end. Let the shadows feast on their tortured souls for the rest of eternity, he was through.

But it didn't mean that he was happy about it. Not at all! They could have had so much more fun before he had to end it.

"It's time to go." Atemu removed himself from the wall, making his way slowly to the exit with the air of defeat. "This place sickens me."

The royal teen tried hard to feel as if he and the others had been successful in their endeavor. They had every right. Everything had gone perfectly. But his heart simply wasn't into it. They hadn't won, only delayed. The real battle was yet to come.

His overloaded mind simply couldn't process what they had found out only moments before he terminated the men's existence. The fact that they got the information they was looking for, and that no one would ever know what had happened to the two men who had rented this apartment other than him and the gruesome twosome –none of it mattered anymore.

If the cops – or anyone else curious enough – were to peek into the apartment now they would only think that whoever had been in residence was nothing short of the worst, most disgusting slobs imaginable, for there was trash strewn about the apartment and bodily fluids of every sort left in various spots around the front room. But the two men who had rented out the dwelling were nowhere to be found.

It was as if the men had vanished into thin air. After all, there was no evidence to suggest anything to the contrary.

Everything had gone according to plan. But a dark cloud of discontent hung over the three former spirits all the same. The rules had changed, and they knew it. Now it was up to them to turn the game back in their favor.

"I agree." Marik stretched petulantly and followed Atemu out the door.

After a moment Bakura followed the other two, halfheartedly directing his shadows to shut the door behind him.

The three teens hopped into the elevator, each lost in their own solemn thoughts about their earlier discovery. Yakuza! Who would have known that the person they were after, the one that had become their main target, the man who had so casually broken Yugi like a spoiled child's toy, would have family ties with this infamous gang of intimidating mobsters. This was not a situation they wanted to get caught up in, but they weren't exactly going to back down from it either, now that they knew.

They stalked out of the silent elevator still caught up in their somber thoughts, passing through the empty lobby to glide, unseen, out the front doors. As they rounded the corner of the building, heading towards the game shop, Bakura broke the heavy silence.

"We need to inform the others." He sighed. "Give them an out if they need it."

Marik and Atemu nodded soberly.

Yakuza!

In no way shape or form did this change their plans to annihilate this bastard. They were still dedicated to taking him down by any means achievable. But the fact remained that none of them wanted to endanger their friends in the process. Their next move was going to take just a little more planning than they had previously thought.

If they missed a step, or someone caught wind of what they were attempting to do the repercussions would be severe.

In less time than they had thought, the somber trio was safely back inside the game shop. The instant they stepped foot into the living area of the quaint dwelling it was to receive a hero's welcome. Loud cheers and a round of applause rent the air, causing each of the three former spirits to take a fearful step back from all the noise.

"YAMI!" A tearful Yugi flew straight into Atemu's arms. "I was so worried about you! I thought something happened, that they took you away! You were gone so long!"

"It's alright Aibou…I'm right here. See?"

Atemu soothed the sobbing teen, wrapping his arms tightly around his slender body, swaying gently as he whispered soft words into the boy's ear, noticing that his little one was not the only person with tears in their eyes. Bakura's smaller double was also shivering in his darkness' embrace, seeking reassurance for their extended absence.

"Soooo…what happened? Did they crack?" Malik queried as he tackled his darker half in a tight hug. "C'mon…don't leave us in suspense here!"

"Yeah! Don't leave us hangin'." Jou repeated.

It was at that moment the rest of the group noticed that the three former spirits weren't exactly acting like the victorious party. Each held that listless look of blank depression as they gazed around the room, refusing to hold anyone's gaze for an extended length of time. Atemu's eyes had dulled to almost a brick red color, his expression resigned as he sighed audibly, fidgeting with the edge of trim on Yugi's shirt as the other two fixated on the wall with angry scowls.

"Why is it I always have to clean up your messes?" Seto sat back down on the couch with an exaggerated, long suffering sigh, before glancing up at the three teens with a look of purely contrived exasperation. "What did you do now? I need to know what you botched up in order to fix it as best I can."

"Fuck you! We didn't _botch_ anything High Priest!" Bakura snarled before amending his tone at Ryou's flinch. "We just…ah hell…we learned a couple of facts that…ah…surprised us and we need to rethink our approach to the matter."

"Yeah...truly…kiss my fat, hairy ass!" Marik shot a baleful glare over at the high handed CEO as he crossed his arms over his chest in a defiant pose.

"Well obviously you did something wrong to come back in such _great_ spirits. I was only offering to help." Seto shot back, irritated that his comment hadn't been met with the usual wiseass retort.

In the ensuing silence after the CEO's insightful comment, perceptive scarlet eyes sought out irate russet and frustrated violet as the three disgruntled teens tried to decide who was going to break the news. It was clear that no one else wanted to speak, so Atemu stepped up to the center of attention as he picked Yugi up in his arms and made his way to the couch to sit next to the fuming brunette.

"Kaiba…at times your offers of aid come off as an insult. I know it's not intended…that you were trying for a bit of humor…we are…ah…a little short right now…sorry." The royal teen's voice fell off for a moment before returning full force. "Regardless…I, for one, would neither turn down the assistance nor the wit. I would suggest everyone get comfortable..."

The brunette nodded in understanding, realizing that perhaps his timing hadn't been the best. His sole intent was to help fix whatever had happened, maybe even provoke a smirk or two, not to start an all-out argument. He had always known that jokes and humor were more Jou's forte, but sometimes it didn't keep him from trying.

And, as always, the rest of the group forgave him for his off sense of humor and bad timing. Just as he forgave them for their wisecracks and childish pranks. He felt Jou's slender hand slip inside his, giving a reassuring squeeze and he turned to smile at his boyfriend before giving his attention over to what Atemu was about to say, catching Bakura and Marik's remorseful glances in passing.

Once the entire group was seated, the former ruler began to outline the events of earlier, leaving out much of what was done, and focusing rather on what was revealed. By the time he was finished everyone in the room was shocked speechless. It was one thing to talk big and bad about going up against an organization with so many violent tendencies. But it was something entirely different to actually go through with it – without an army as backup. And they had no army.

"I have three tickets to France." Seto commented idly. "One for Jou, one for Yugi and another for Mokuba. Anyone else interested?"

From the time that Atemu had mentioned the word Mafia, the brunette had pulled his laptop around and sat it on his lap, still listening intently, but also multitasking as he did. There was no way his family was going to get hurt in the pursuit of justice!

But both Jou and Mokuba noisily put a dent in those plans as soon as they were voiced just as the smaller tricolor haired teen gave his darker half such a look of heartbreak that Atemu himself had to protest. In an instant the whole group was in an uproar, arguing loudly over who would go and who would stay. It took almost an hour for them to decide. And in the end no one took the tickets, each preferring to stay and help out wherever they were most needed.

After a few moments of tense silence Bakura suggested that since everyone was in it was time to start planning…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

3 Days later…

The man behind the desk was, once again, practically drooling at the myriad of pictures his henchmen had managed to gather. He had hardly moved from behind the desk in the past four days, unable to put these images from his mind for even a moment, he had become so obsessed.

His hardened eyes virtually glittered with lust and more than a few dollar signs as he glanced at the array of beautiful teens, almost unable to make up his mind as to which one he found more intriguing. The one thought that swam around his head was that his clients were going to be so pleased with the new merchandise!

Greedy hands trembled wildly as he reorganized the photos and went back through them once again, unable to keep from fantasizing over his new collection of slaves. Well…they weren't his _yet_.

But they would be.

The first picture he laid down on the desk was of the two tricolor haired twins. He knew the smaller one intimately. The one he had personally named Hikari, for the innocent light that had shone so brightly in those large amethyst eyes when the kid first arrived – before he all but beat it out of him. The little one was a prize all on his own…But the taller, darker twin with those defiant, almost regal scarlet eyes was absolutely breathtaking in his wildness.

It wouldn't be too long before those two exquisite gems were both occupying a room in his cozy establishment. Oh the fun he would have then! He would tame that proud, wild beauty, just as he had the innocent one. It was an act he was so looking forward to. Maybe that one he would even keep to himself for the first couple of weeks, before turning him over to the guests to use as they wished.

And once he had added the two of them to his collection, it was time to go after the others. The man flipped over two more pictures and set them face up on the desk alongside the first one. His men had managed to find an absolute treasure trove in that puny, little backwater town. There were so many gorgeous boys, all ripe for the picking.

Another one that caught his eye was the small white haired boy with those stunning, doe-like velvet eyes that many of his clients were nuts about. And there was an elegant platinum blonde with such an unusual shade of violet that would appeal to his more…selective guests and a clumsy, boyish blonde with eyes the color of honey. If he could pull this off the payoff would be extravagant. His establishment would quite simply the best of its kind.

A shiver of excitement ran down his spine. He couldn't wait to get his hands on these beauties. It was too bad his men were out of communication at the moment or he would order them to storm the house and pick up his prizes now, to hell with the police!

Perhaps it was a good thing that his men were out doing whatever it was they were doing. Patience was never his strong suit, as he remembered his mother always told him. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that all things came to those who waited, before continuing his task.

The man flipped one more of the pictures over, expecting to see yet another pretty face staring back at him. He knew them all by heart now.

What he saw didn't even register in his mind for the first minute that he stared at the grainy, badly lit photo. He leaned in, bringing the picture up close to his face with a frown, almost crossing his eyes in his obsession to make out a recognizable image.

Staring a little harder, he scratched his head. Now how did that get in here? He hadn't seen that one before. He squinted at it. For a moment it almost looked like a couple of overweight, grotesquely white men getting it on. A closer look told him that he wasn't losing his mind; this picture was of exactly that.

He jerked back in his chair away from the repulsive image, ten ways to pissed off. His eyebrows drew together as his face turned the color of a ripe tomato. Was this some kind of sick fucking joke? Is this what Grunt and James had been up to for the past three days? They both knew he didn't want any inside knowledge of what they did on their time off! And technically they hadn't earned any time off as of yet. They still had a job to do!

Those two nitwits were both supposed to be watching this house, and keeping him updated, getting ready to nab their prey. Not fucking each other's brains out like this picture suggested they were doing! And how the hell did he end up with their homemade porn? He glanced back at the picture again with a disgusted frown. He hadn't known James was into that? How sickening!

The man slammed his fists down on the desktop, his blood pressure skyrocketing – dropping the photo in the process. How dare they fuck off on his time? He snatched the picture up and stormed out of the office.

"Mackenzie!" He snarled to his secretary. "Get me Grunt or James NOW! I don't give a flying fuck how you do it…just do it!"

Mackenzie, his ever faithful secretary, stared back at him blankly for a moment, before setting the phone back on its base with a puzzled scowl. "But I thought you wanted everyone notified about tomorrow's auction before the end of the day?"

The owner of the establishment stopped in his tracks, puzzled, searching his mind for the recent command as his attention lit on the picture in his hands. "What auc…?"

The moment he glanced at the photo, he forgot what it was he was about to say. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he stared at the picture in his grasp. It was an ordinary, close up photo of the gorgeous tricolor haired teen with scarlet eyes, the boy who haunted his fantasies. In this picture it almost looked as though those intimidating ruby eyes were glowing, the hatred in them was that intense.

He blinked. But hadn't he grabbed the one with his men in a compromising position? Huh? Maybe he had grabbed the wrong one in his rush? As he scratched his head he stared into those fascinating eyes, once again losing his concentration. A shudder ran through his gaunt frame. This kid was eerie up close! Stunning, but completely eerie.

His secretary shot him another disgruntled glare when he didn't finish the question. "The one you moved up from next Saturday to tomorrow. You know…you almost bit my head off when I said I didn't think I could get to everyone in time. Are you sure you're okay boss."

"Yeah, yeah…'m fine." The man absentmindedly waved him off. "Just pissed off…I need a fucking vacation!"

"Okay…then do you want me to find Grunt and James or keep working on these phone calls? I can't do both in such a short amount of time." Mackenzie pointed out logically, if not a bit testily.

"The auction is still on for its original date. We won't have any new blood until next week, so forget what I said about changing it to tomorrow. I want Grunt…or James now!" The man snapped as he changed direction and stomped back into his office, never hearing the soft, menacing voice as it ordered Mackenzie back to his call list.

With an irritated sigh the man shut the door behind him, before rushing over to his desk. He wasn't losing his mind! He wasn't! He could have sworn that he never put that picture down. But then again he couldn't remember telling Mackenzie to change the date for their auction either.

Why on earth would he have done that? They had no newly trained slaves yet. In fact he had been pushing it to set the date for next week. But he knew that there was a handful that could be broke in before then. He had done it many times before, in a shorter amount of time. Maybe he was stressing out a little too much?

With a roll of his eyes the man set the treasured picture back down amongst the rest. He needed to find the picture that had sent him off the deep end earlier, so that he could confront them with the evidence. His men obviously needed a little reminder of just who was the boss.

A quick shuffle through the pile of photos on his desk failed to produce the picture that he had been looking at earlier. Maybe he had dropped it? The man dropped uncomfortably to his knees to search under his desk, finding nothing of consequence other than a long forgotten twenty dollar bill crumpled up in the corner. As he peered up over the side of the desk he spied a photo propped up against the monitor of his computer. And for the life of him he couldn't quite remember setting one in that spot.

Hesitantly he reached out and grabbed it, bringing it in for a closer look. Well, it definitely wasn't the one he had originally been looking for, but it was just as interesting. This one contained the gory image of a kneeling man with darkish liquid – blood maybe? – running down his face in copious amounts. It was hard to make out any distinguishing facial features with the burgundy liquid distorting the image, but he was pretty sure that he had never met the man was in this photo.

What the hell were his men up to? Did he end up with their vacation photos on top of the ones of their prey? This was totally repulsive! And whatever the man was holding in his hand…it looked like some type of meat…or something. He squinted harder, trying to discern the item that the figure was holding out towards the camera as if proud of. It was such an eerie, haunting image.

Fsshhh! The picture dissolved into shadowy wisps just as his mind clicked on the fact that the hideous figure was holding his own tongue.

He cringed back away from the image that was frozen in his mind as his heart rate sped up, pounding loudly in his chest. What the hell just happened? Was he hallucinating? Thick, foamy bile lodged itself at the base of his throat, and try as he might, he couldn't quite clear it. He glanced around the room, as if to confirm that everything was as it had been before. And it was…

But once again there was another photo where he didn't remember setting it. This one was sitting up with the professional portraits of his family members, on a glass shelf above the television. Shakily the man pulled himself to his feet, unable to stop himself from crossing the room purely out of curiosity. Cautiously he reached out and grabbed a hold of the mysterious picture, treating it as he would a bomb of unknown origin.

This one held two naked, bloodied men, who looked as if they had been tied together with a roll of duct tape. He studied the picture intensely. But the entire image was distorted and grainy, blocking out the faces of the subjects. Before he was able to take another, closer look, this one vanished into the shadows as well, leaving behind no trace that it had ever existed.

With wild, frightened eyes he gave another glance around the room, thinking, hoping that maybe James had returned and was playing a prank on him. The older of his two men had always been somewhat of a prankster – and he had given him ample enough reason to engage in the childish behavior when he had given them that ultimatum not more than a week ago.

Yeah, that was it; James must be up to his old tricks! These photos must be rigged in some way. The man's stunned features smoothed back into a haughty, arrogant pose. He would teach James a lesson about messing with people's heads the next time they came into contact. A valuable lesson…

"Excuse me sir…but James just left a message for you to look in _The Room_." Mackenzie poked his head inside the office. "He left a present for you."

The man's head jerked around as soon as he heard the first quiet word, still slightly miffed. He nodded in understanding and straightened out his posture as if nothing was amiss, thinking that he would go and check out his little gift. Now everything made sense. It was as he had thought; James was getting even with him. His men had come back bearing gifts, and a little payback.

What he failed to comprehend, as he hurried out of the room, was the eerie, vacant stare in his secretary's watchful eyes.

As he made his way hastily towards _The Room_, he felt his lust and excitement spike wildly. Which one of those tempting little morsels should he be expecting? Would it be his Hikari, back to beg him for more in that beautiful, angel's voice? Or would it be the wild twin, the one that just begged to be tamed? Somehow he doubted that one. They would have to bring in the smaller one first, in order to secure _his_ cooperation.

But oh how he wished it to be so. That one had haunted his dreams ever since he caught sight of those defiant, majestic scarlet eyes, making it hard for him to get a good night's rest. If he had to pick his favorite out of all the boys that his men had come across in Domino, it would have to be that one. It was all he could do to not imagine how pleasing it would be to break that proud, majestic boy to his will.

He stopped momentarily, an errant thought running through his mind, before his step quickened. Maybe his men had even anticipated his wishes and brought him one of the other gorgeous little boys that they had managed to catch on film. After all, they had had enough presence of mind to know that he would want to take a look at the rest of what Domino had to offer. Hell, the one awaiting his presence could even be that beautiful little white haired treasure.

He turned the corner and his breath caught in his throat. There, inside the glass enclosure was the most erotic sight he had ever laid eyes on. He set his hands against the glass, gaping in awe.

Somehow his men had managed to capture the bronze beauty that filled his dreams. The boy was unconscious and gagged, his head lying limply against his left shoulder, those stunning scarlet eyes closed, his body splayed tightly between two poles, awaiting his inspection.

His prize looked perfect, even from behind the glass. The men had already stripped him down to the tight, white thong that he must have been wearing at the time he had been taken. And even though his bindings pulled him up on the balls of his feet, stretching his slender body out to its fullest height, it was clear that the youth was a little on the petite side.

There was a regal, almost untouchable quality about the boy inside the glass, even with his features softened in unconsciousness.

The man's hand shook uncontrollably as he reached for the door handle. This was beyond his wildest imaginings, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to do first. Once inside the room he looked over his trophy with greedy eyes, tracing his hands over the profile of the smooth, bronze skin. The boy was even more beautiful up close, not a blemish to be seen. He tipped the teen's head up to get a closer look at flawless features.

His men had done a good job. He would name the boy Storm, for the fierce, violent glare that was always in his eyes when the camera was on him. To tame this one would be nothing but a pure joy. This one would belong to him! Maybe he would even make him into a treasured, obedient pet, only to be loaned out on special occasions.

With trembling hands he reached out to touch his most recent possession, only to be met with a fierce, angry glare as those ruby eyes opened unexpectedly, blinking twice with the dawning realization of threat. The rage in those exotically slanted eyes almost made him step back in fear, but he gathered his thoughts quickly and gave a malicious smirk.

"No need to look like that my proud beauty…you'll learn to love it here." He chuckled as he continued to run his hands over the silky bronze skin, touching the teen intimately.

The boy jerked harshly against his bindings, his enraged comments muffled by the piece of cloth over his mouth. The man wasn't put off by his new slave's obvious reluctance. In fact it turned him on even more. Harshly he reached out and grabbed a handful of the teen's rear, squeezing tight enough to cause a muffled gasp and a wide eyed look of surprise.

Having gained a reaction more to his liking, the man then slapped the scarlet eyed teen's backside violently. That ill-advised action resulted in the teen head butting him hard enough to make him stumble backwards with his hands to his head. Stepping quickly out of reach the man reached up to rub at the throbbing knot forming right between his eyes.

"Oh so you want to play that way, huh?" He gasped with an evil sneer. "Well, let's see if you want to keep up this defiant act when I'm through with you."

But his newest acquisition wasn't paying him any attention, had in fact dismissed him quite thoroughly, preferring to glare at seemingly nothing over in the corner of the room, muttering furious, unintelligible comments behind the gag.

The man glanced over to the deserted corner of the room once before he made his way over to his collection of negative reinforcement devices, selecting a long bull whip. He cracked it once at the ground, catching the bound youth's attention rather quickly.

A wary, knowing look replaced the regal sneer that had been prevalent in those eyes not moments before, and the man found that he liked that slight fear that was hidden quickly behind the haughty glare. The muffled comments became a little louder, a touch more frantic.

It was time to teach this lovely little jewel who was boss here. He drew back to strike…

"I don't think so."

The comment came from out of nowhere, startling him into retreating a step or two before regaining his balance.

"Who's there?" The man glanced around the room, seeing no one other than himself and his bound captive.

Malicious laughter echoed back at him from the four corners of the room. It sounded as if he were surrounded, but there was no one else inside the room! He glanced left, then right, but still the laughter came. Unsure, he took a step backwards, only to notice that the light was being drained out of the room, leaving it in a gloomy darkness. Was he going crazy?

Suddenly the whip was pulled from his slackened grip. He looked up, wide eyed, as a vicious crack rent the air, before pieces of the appliance were dropped to the ground beside his feet. He shuddered as he came face to face with the ferocious, glowing scarlet eyes of his no longer bound captive. He shivered at the demonic look in piercing eyes.

"Did I do something – by any chance without my knowledge…" Atemu's menacing snarl caught the man off guard and he tripped over his feet, barely able to remain standing. "…to give you impression that I would allow you to actually use this on me?"

"Not that I know of." Bakura materialized at the side of his friend.

"I don't seem to remember you giving consent if that's what you're asking..." Marik materialized on the other side with an evil leer in the man's direction.

"Then he would have done so without my permission." Atemu glanced around at his friends for confirmation.

"That's what I'm thinking." Marik replied.

The man turned his head in order to catch a glimpse of the two figures that the teen was talking to, but the petite, barely clothed teen in the center of the trio kept his attention off of the two speaking, as he grabbed a hold of the front of his shirt with a crushing grip, abruptly cutting off his air supply. A choked whimper passed his lips as he fought for breath, his hands closing around the slender, bronze digits that were depriving him of oxygen, suddenly in fear for his life.

"Do not presume to touch me again without my consent you piece of filth!" The former ruler snarled ferociously as he shook the man like a limp rag doll. "Neither me nor anyone else!"

A low whimper erupted from the man's throat and he fought harder to gain access to the much needed oxygen. This, in turn caused Atemu to squeeze a little harder, to shake him a little rougher.

"Sorriest excuse for a human being I have ever seen! You are finished!" Atemu roared, when his captive could do nothing other than gasp for air, beating uselessly at his hands.

Without warning the man suddenly found himself thrown violently back into the wall, where his consciousness struggled to remain a thing of the present. It failed miserably and after a moment he slid to the floor in a boneless heap, twitching once before falling still.

"Atemu! Don't kill him yet!" Bakura exclaimed. "He's needed for the rest of the plan!"

"He will live. But at least now we'll not be subjected to that incessant bleating while we complete the rest of the preparations. He whines like a little bitch when he is not the one in control." Atemu replied as he retrieved his scattered clothing from the corner of the room.

The royal teen dressed quickly and silently, giving alternating glares to the two former spirits as they broke out into fits of laughter. Once he was presentable he turned his back on the others and attempted to gather the man's limp body up into his arms. It was a little hard as the unconscious man outweighed him by more than a few pounds.

"Let me help you with that." Marik offered.

"I have it under control." Atemu snorted as he resorted to dragging the lanky man over to the poles he had been bound to earlier. "Moreover, I have had just about enough _help_ out of you. When in the hell did we decide that _I_ was to be used as bait?"

"The minute that perverted fuck couldn't take his eyes off your picture." The white haired thief snickered loudly in the silence. "Pretty boy."

"Excellent. Thank you. I've always wondered what it felt like to be whacked on the back of the head with a blunt instrument!" Atemu retorted sarcastically. "And to wake up to that _thing _touching me…I could have done without that as well! Thank you very much."

"Are you done whining yet? You know you liked it." Bakura grinned maniacally.

"What?" Atemu rounded on his friend, dropping the man's body in shock. "What in the flying fuck would give you the notion that I want something like that touching me?"

"Admit it. If Yugi were the one wielding the whip you would have been harder than a rock." Bakura shot back with a superior smirk. "I saw the look in your eyes."

Atemu abruptly turned his back on the white haired thief. "This conversation is finished…Marik, would you be so kind as to round up the rest of the rubbish?"

"At your service _Your Highness_." Marik replied with a smirk and a mocking half bow, before turning on his heel to walk out the door.

At the vicious grin in the white haired teen's eyes Atemu cut him off at the pass. "I have nothing further to say on the subject so stuff it."

Bakura shrugged, the shit eating grin never leaving his face as he worked silently and effectively with Atemu to secure their prey. Between the two of them they finally managed to bind the man in the same position that royal teen had awoke in, splayed between the two poles, naked, helpless, and completely at the mercy of the three former spirits. The man who had seemed almost intimidating earlier was anything but as his homely body was revealed to the room, and found wanting.

"Wow, man, talk about penis wrinkle!" Bakura snickered. "Look Pharaoh, it's a penis…only smaller!"

"And that is entirely too much information!" Atemu rolled his eyes. "Feel free not to share with me every minor detail that catches your attention. I honestly do _not_ care to know."

"Rubbish rounded!" Marik called out happily as he opened the door to the glass enclosure. "I found two more cretins out there running around, and I know there's a couple more on the loose somewhere who haven't returned. Isn't there a law against letting your pets off their leashes?"

"There's supposed to be." Atemu replied as he finished securing his prisoner to the posts. "We fixed our problem. Your turn."

"Well,well,well…what do we have here?" Bakura questioned as he glanced over at the two newcomers.

"Cretin number one was obediently finishing the task I gave him earlier. And cretin two…ah, I don't think she speaks any English at all. When I found her she was shoving trays of food under some of the doors. I think she's just here to keep those poor kids fed. I went through her memories; she's been here since she was but a child" Marik shrugged.

"Wonderful…" Atemu shook his head, marveling at the depths to which some people would sink.

"What do we do with her?" Marik asked. "I don't know how involved she is in what goes on here."

"Let her continue. We have an entire twenty four hours to figure out the role she plays. And whoever is behind those doors needs nourishment." Atemu waved the small Hispanic woman away. "I doubt she even knows a life other than here."

Marik whispered a word or two in the woman's ear before shooing her away. The small lady walked out the door unfazed, to continue with her duties, her eyes vacant and glassy.

"So what do we do with Cretin number one?" Bakura asked with a smirk as he eyed the zombie-like secretary.

"You want him? You can deal with him as you see fit." Atemu replied. "Marik…Mr. High and Mighty belongs to you for the moment. I'm going to return to the house to retrieve Yugi and see if we can set this to rights. When the other two return, give them the red carpet treatment as well."

"They got to come back sometime. And when they do, the shadows will let us know." Bakura smirked malevolently.

Marik chuckled with an evil leer towards the unconscious man. "We got it…now go do what you need to before you end up missing out on all the fun!"

"Oh…I forgot…" Atemu snatched up the knife that he had used to cut the man's clothing away from his body and made his way back over to the unconscious man.

With a maniacal smirk the former Pharaoh reached up between the man's legs and grabbed a firm hold of his sac. A loud, wet ripping sound filled the room, followed closely by an unearthly howl before dropping off to pathetic sniveling. Bakura and Marik glanced at each other with wide eyes, completely horrified at their friend's actions, as the man's cries continued to echo around the room.

But the sound of pitiful sobbing wasn't enough to keep Atemu from completing his mission. The furious teen reached over and pinched the man's cheeks together until his mouth was open wide, then stuffed the entire bloody mess inside the open orifice, smacking his mouth shut afterwards.

"Now I'm finished. He's all yours." Atemu grinned, knowing that the noise would drive the other two insane in no time at all. A little payback for the scene earlier.

"Atemu you are an asshole!" Marik shouted after him as he made towards the door.

The former Pharaoh nodded as he turned and practically ran out the door, leaving it to swing shut on its own as he disappeared around the corner, his mind already on other things.

He didn't want Yugi to be in this house any longer than necessary. It was bad enough that his little one had to come back here at all. But a promise was a promise – and he had agreed to let the little one help when they freed the rest of the kids who had been unlucky enough to catch the attention of one of these freaks.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	17. Chapter 17

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi shivered violently, snatching a hold of his darkness' arm in a vice-like death grip the instant the door shut behind him. The diminutive teen could feel his pulse racing – and his heart felt like it could burst forth from his chest at any given minute – leaving him gasping for breath.

Just being here, in this place was messing with his head. He was already emotionally drained from his Yami's harsh treatment over the past couple of days, making him unsure of what his role was in the darker teen's life. And this place seemed to call out to him, bringing all of his insecurities and bad memories to the surface.

His mind couldn't help but hear the hard voice of the man who had called himself _his master_ barking out commands that he expected to be obeyed, no matter how painful or degrading they were.

The small tricolor haired teen's trembling increased a pace for each tentative step he took into the opulently decorated room as he lowered his head, refusing to glance around at the decadent furnishings. Frightened tears escaped downcast amethyst eyes to chase each other down the sides of his face. Cruel, unforgiving memories that he tried so hard to forget swam to the surface of his mind, making breathing all but impossible.

Imagination or otherwise, he could have sworn that he heard the sharp crack of a whip from somewhere within the massive structure. He clenched his hands, his nails digging into his darker half's bronze skin and eliciting a hiss of discomfort from the former spirit.

The shivering teen wanted so badly to back out that door and run from this place screaming – and he hadn't even made it into the part of the mansion that he knew all too well. But if he did that then he might as well give in, give up on ever getting over what happened.

A sick feeling bubbled up from the pit of his stomach and he doubled over, feeling the acidic bile as it spilled into his mouth. He fought for control one last time and barely managed to swallow the bitterness before he lost the contents of his stomach all over the floor.

He couldn't do this…he had to! He had to face this part of his past in order to move on. But it was so hard! He couldn't! He felt dizzy…

"Y-Ya…" The small teen hadn't even managed to put his thoughts into words before he found himself wrapped up in his darkness' strong, comforting embrace. He flinched for a moment before curling his fingers up in the soft fabric of the darker teen's shirt, deep sobs wracking his slender frame.

"Aibou…" Atemu drew the trembling boy into his arms as he fumbled behind himself for the exit. "Enough little one; you need not be here! This is too much and entirely too soon. I'm taking you home."

The former spirit knew it had been a bad idea for him to allow his Aibou to reenter this place of nightmares, where he had been imprisoned for so long. But he had at least tried to keep his reckless promise. It tore at his heart to have to put his foot down, but the boy was trembling so violently that it hurt him to watch. This was not good for his little one's state of mind!

He would make it up to him later, but for now Yugi was going home, where he would be safe. As he lifted the little one into his arms, it was as if someone had flipped a switch on the teen's fight or flight response. For Yugi started to fight him, struggling violently.

"Please…mou Hitori no Boku…don't do this." Yugi sobbed, struggling against his darker half for all he was worth as he realized that his other half wasn't going to allow him to complete his mission. He needed to do this! He needed this to help him move on. "Please…I want to be a part of this too. Let me help...Please…"

The former Pharaoh's head shot up at the name that Yugi had given him oh so long ago, and his grip on the small teen slackened slightly.

With Atemu distracted by the long forgotten nickname, the small teen dropped to the ground as dead weight, pulling the former Pharaoh down with him. Both teens hit the floor with a thud. Atemu's jaw dropped, his expression dumb founded as he stared back at his stubborn look alike from where he had landed.

"Aibou?" The royal teen queried as he picked himself up off the floor, moving slowly towards the motionless figure. His lighter half hadn't called him by that name in a long time.

"Y-you promised…mou Hitori no Boku." The small teen sobbed.

The royal teen's sharp features softened. "Oh little one…"

"Y-you can't j-just expect me t-to just do wh-what you want…whenever y-you…whenever you w-want…I-I'm not a-a toy…! You'reactinglikehim!" The words tumbled out of the teen's mouth before he had a chance to think.

The vehement tone in which those words were spoken halted the former spirit in his tracks, his eyes wide.

Yugi clamped his hand over his mouth the moment the words exited. He hadn't meant to say that, he really hadn't. Where had that come from? There was no comparison. His darker half was one of the kindest, most compassionate people he had ever had the pleasure of meeting – even if he was a little high handed at times.

Well, make that a lot over the past three days. His other half had gone through such a change in attitude, and it started when he went after the thugs that were watching them. But it didn't mean that he was anything like…

"I-I didn't…mean that…oh god…I just…I-I'm sorry…Yami…I'm sorry…"

Yugi stared back at his darker half with a remorseful; tear filled expression, before pulling his slender legs up against his chest – losing what was left of his shaky control, sobbing loudly. With a regretful sigh Atemu crawled back over to the petite teen and pulled him up against his chest, whispering words to comfort him.

"Shhh…Aibou…tell me…explain to me what's wrong. Please…I'll do my best to make it right." Atemu kissed the boy's ear as he held him tight.

"Lately…Lately y-you…and the others…have been so…Please…I-I have to do this…don't you understand?" Yugi pleaded as he stared back into astonished ruby eyes. "I…want to be here for…the others. I-I don't…know i-if I c-can face _him _yet…but I want to try…Yami please, don't force your will on me...The past three days…you…you…always tell me what to do! Like I'm…a-a…spoiled child! What did I do…tha-that was s-so…wrong?"

Yugi hid his face in his hands again, frightened and unsure. His darkness had left him out of most of the conversations concerning tonight, practically ordering him to bed, refusing to give him even the slightest of answers to the questions he had asked. The last time his darker half had even yelled at him for daring to set foot in the game shop.

For three days he had not been allowed off the second floor of his home, kept under lock and key, Atemu watching his every move – or handing him over to Jou when he wasn't available. It was as if his darker half didn't trust him anymore. Why?

"Aibou…whaaa?"

The royal teen reared back, startled. Was that what his little one thought? Was that what he had been doing? Forcing the little one to bend to his will? It was purely unintentional; all he wanted was for his Aibou to be protected, mentally as well as physically. And ever since their run in with those two perverts he had feared for the little one's safety.

As he looked down into those beautiful amethysts shining with hurt and betrayal the former Pharaoh realized that he was in the wrong. Very much in the wrong.

"Shhhh…you've done nothing wrong Aibou…nothing at all." The darker teen smoothed a lock of blonde hair out of the boy's face before stroking his cheek, rocking him tenderly in his arms. "Shhhh little one…"

Looking down into the hurt mask that hung over those angelic features like a dark cloud, Atemu couldn't find it in his heart to let his little one down by making him leave. He just couldn't. Especially when it wasn't what his Aibou wanted.

"I-I'm sorry…I-I didn't…I didn't mean that…" Yugi trailed off tearfully before continuing, placing a gentle hand on his darkness' chest as he attempted to reign in his wild emotions. "This place…it…it messes with…with m-my head…I'm sorry…Yami…I-I didn't mean to…to take it out o-on you."

"And I am sorry as well, Aibou, for my behavior over the past couple of days…I've been so worried…I…" The darker teen shook his head, holding the small teen close to his heart. "I'll not make you leave. But if gets too far out of hand I'm taking you out of here…kicking and screaming if need be. I don't like the thought of putting you anywhere near harm's way. If you were…" Atemu shuddered as the horrible memories came rushing to the front of his thoughts. "I cannot live without you!"

Yugi nodded tearfully. "I'll be good…I promise."

Atemu tilted the boy's head up, locking eyes with him. "I don't want you to behave little one. I want you to be safe."

The smaller of the two leaned up, as if asking for a kiss, which Atemu instantly obliged for a moment before tenderly brushing the tears from his face.

"Are you ready little one?"

Yugi nodded shakily and the darker teen pulled him up off the floor. The two of them began searching through some of the rooms, looking for victims. They found nothing of interest on the first floor of the mansion other than some beautifully decorated but empty rooms where it looked like guests who had imbibed too much could sleep it off without fear of being molested.

Atemu quirked a brow at the thought before shaking his head and moving on to the next room. How nice!

As they searched deeper into the center of the mansion the former spirit finally realized the inner strength that was hidden deep within this tiny angelic being who wanted nothing more than a chance to face his fears, his nightmares so that he could heal fully.

His little one's face showed all of his determination and none of the fear that had frozen him to the floor earlier, as they peeked inside of doors and around corners, never knowing what to expect. He never should have hidden their plans from the traumatized teen, nor expected him to follow his commands blindly. His Aibou was worth so much more than that!

Maybe this whole incident wasn't just messing with Yugi's head. He and the others had been acting like asses for the past couple of days, their thoughts filled with revenge and torture even as they neglected those that meant the world to them. Didn't that put them on the same level as those they were hunting?

With these thoughts in mind the former spirit continued to search for the surviving victims.

It was the second floor where they discovered the first evidence of what the large, immaculately kept home was truly used for. The first room they came across was empty – completely windowless, and bare of anything but a small bucket with stains of an unknown origin. Thick metal chains attached to the wall waited silently for their next victim.

Yugi shivered again; wiping the tears out of his eyes as Atemu pulled him away from the sight, not even wanting to imagine what went on in this room.

The next room they came to held a stunning, barely clad blonde girl, who appeared to be no older than fifteen. The instant she laid eyes on them she shed her clothing and dropped to her knees, waiting, trembling, for their command. The former Pharaoh's heart melted at the blank look that her amber eyes had held moments before she prostrated herself before them.

"You may…" Atemu started, before Yugi put a gentle hand over his mouth.

The former Pharaoh glanced over at Yugi, catching the wide eyed, tearful look on the boy's face as he shook his head. He threw a questioning look only for the smaller teen to mouth 'not yet'.

"Get dressed and go to the library, someone will collect you from there." Yugi commanded shakily, trying hard to hold himself together long enough to say the words.

The girl nodded her understanding before rising from her kneeling position and gathering her meager clothing around her bare form. Atemu waited until she had exited the room before turning to his little one with the question still written on his face. Once he realized that the boy was on the verge of losing it he wrapped his arms around his shaking frame and let the terrified teen sob out his fears on his shoulders.

After a moment, the smaller teen stepped away and regained his shaky composure.

"Y-you can't just expect them…to realize they're being freed." Yugi tearfully answered the earlier, unspoken query as he stepped up to the large antique dresser that crowded the room. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror before meeting his darkness' eyes through the glass, realizing just how alike they looked at the moment. "They won't accept it…not like this. They need to be shown what freedom is first. Just as you did for me."

"Ah."

Atemu nodded, understanding dawning. He had worked so hard over the past nine months to bring his little one back from that catatonic state, he shouldn't have expected to waltz in here, tell them they were free and receive a thank you in return. It didn't work like that.

"This is why I wanted to be here." The smaller teen reiterated with a bone deep shudder. "I still remember…"

They repeated the process again in the next room, this time the child behind the door was a small dark haired boy who seemed to be no older than twelve. It sickened Atemu that there were people in this world who would force a child for their twisted pleasures.

Ruby eyes flashed dangerously as the former spirit entertained some rather twisted notions of his own, all centering on the man that he had turned into a eunuch earlier, before remembering his little one's sobering words. The thoughts of revenge fled his mind in the wake of that tearful visage. Had he and the others changed that much?

Five more times they repeated their duties, the only difference being the age and looks of the children that they freed, the former spirit torn between rage at the men who held these innocent lives so carelessly in their hands – and remorse for the way he had treated his Aibou the past three days.

Atemu had almost started growling by the time they had sent their seventh victim down towards the spacious library at the end of the hall and this time it was Yugi who held out a comforting hand, the small teen seeming to grow in strength and determination for every soul he freed.

"Fuck it all!" The former spirit raged helplessly. "How many fucking rooms are in this god forsaken place?"

Yugi shook his head sadly, unable to answer the question. He had only seen very few of the actual rooms when he had been held captive. His room, _The Room_ and, once or twice, the office that the man who had called himself his master worked from. But from what he did see as he was taken from one room to the other, this place was huge! And just the thought of _The Room_ sent the small teen into a fit of trembling.

"Aibou." Atemu sent a warning glance.

Yugi held his hands up, taking a deep breath as he wiped away his tears. "I'm fine…just a thought. I'll be okay, let's just get this done."

The former Pharaoh nodded before continuing their task. It ended up taking them nearly an hour to round up all the children who were kept behind locked doors. Twenty, in all. And the last three had sent him to his knees, with tears leaking from his scarlet eyes.

The oldest of the three small children, two girls and one boy, had to be no older than eight. Their frightened looks and frantic attempts to keep away from him broke his heart, what with Yugi having to leave the room in order to regain his composure before giving another attempt to gain their trust.

It was clear to both him and Yugi that not one of the three had been here long enough to go through the complete brainwashing, but they knew enough of what happened whenever anyone stepped through the door to their room enough to fear the two teens that had entered.

Yugi knelt on the floor, holding his hand out to the last child, a small dark haired boy with the most amazing emerald eyes. The child backed into the corner, shivering, fearful of even the smallest touch. And all attempts to remove him gently from the room had met with failure.

The amethyst eyed teen knew their time was running out, they needed get these kids to safety before the last of their plan could be put into action. As of right now there was less than twelve hours. Hours that the three dark teens needed to fully complete their mission.

"Please…I know you don't trust me…" Yugi held his hand out a little further, trying his hardest not to scare the boy any more than necessary. "…but you have to believe…I need to get you out of here before they come back…"

It took the frustrated teen another ten minutes before he finally convinced the boy to move from his place in the corner of the room. And as he carried the child out to Atemu's waiting arms he breathed a sigh of relief. This was the last one on this floor.

They only had the third floor left to search and he wasn't so sure there was anything up there. But it didn't hurt to be safe. After all, who knew if there was going to be anything of the house left standing after Yami, Bakura and Marik got through with it.

The small teen leaned up against the wall as he waited for his darker half to return from depositing the child in the library, a lone tear sliding down his face. His darkness was acting odd. Half the time his other half was muttering and growling, the rest of the time he had this look of almost sick fear – as if he was fighting something in his mind.

Had his words to the darker teen had that much of an affect? Was Yami finally realizing how demanding he and the others had been over the past couple of days? Frankly the darker teen was scaring him, being over protective to the point of smothering, demanding and careless of others feelings. He just wanted his Yami back! The one who loved him, who laughed with him, the one who turned a blind eye to his failings and mistakes.

"Aibou…" Atemu tenderly brushed the tears from the teen's eyes, making Yugi realize that his other half had been standing there for quite some time. "I'm sorry little one…being here…seeing this…" He gestured to the rooms. "I…we've been so caught up in this game…I'm sorry. I will make it up to you if you'll let me."

"I just want you…t-to…please…come back to me. I hate seeing you like this." Yugi pulled the darker teen into his embrace.

"It's time to end it." Atemu stated as he drew the teen behind him, making for the final set of stairs.

"It is."

The pair made their way up the last set of steps, Atemu taking the lead to ensure that his little one wouldn't be the first to step into a trap. When they reached the top of the stairs, the first detail they noticed was that the third level was one large room – a storage room apparently – and that, as you could tell from the outside structure, it didn't cover the whole house.

There was a thin layer of dust covering the tiny, high set windows, as well as some cobwebs strung across the bare ceiling adding to the unused look.

"Over there." Atemu whispered as he pointed to a solitary, naked figure chained to a wall in a darkened corner of the room.

Yugi nodded and the pair made their way cautiously over to huddled, shaking figure. The first thing they noticed was that the person in the corner was an older person, maybe in their thirties with the receding hair line being a rather distinguishing characteristic.

From what the figure allowed them to see as it scooted further into the darkened corner, it was severely scarred. The person's facial features were practically torn, creases running down the center and the sides of their cheeks, more of the disfiguring scars were seen running down the figure's back and sides. The next fact they noticed was that the figure should have been a male. But it was lacking the necessary equipment.

The pitiful figure began to rock back and forth, mumbling unintelligible gibberish as they advanced.

"What the hell?" Atemu asked, puzzled. "Why on earth would someone do that?"

But Yugi never answered. The moment the figure turned around, his eyes were glued to the figure's piercing blue eyes. With a shriek of fright and panic, the smaller teen lashed out, kicking the creature square in the face, oblivious to its answering screams, before bolting across the room and down the stairs.

"Yugi! WAIT!" Atemu flew after his Aibou, racing down the stairs to find Yugi on his knees, his arms wrapped around his chest, sobbing pitifully.

Atemu wrapped his arms around the terrified teen, soothing him with whispered words as he waited for the episode to pass. What on earth had spooked his Aibou so badly? The boy's words weren't even making sense. All he could make out were disjointed phrases such as "it was him" and "he's the one". Other than that, none of the mutterings were even close to coherent.

It took close to ten minutes for the royal teen to even come anywhere near to calming the smaller teen down enough to comprehend his words. And by the time he did, he wished he hadn't. His head shot up, scarlet eyes focused on the stairs with a frightening glare.

So that was the man who had landed his little one in the hospital to fight for his life! The one who had so carelessly tossed his Aibou aside as if a broken rag doll. And someone else had gotten to this creature before him?

Ruby eyes glowed with vengeance. A movement caught the corner of his eye and he almost sent the unlucky person into the shadows. But a quick glance showed that it was only Ryou, coming to make sure there were no others before they left.

"Sleep Aibou." Atemu rested his forehead against Yugi's. Shadows enshrouded the duo's forms and lovingly swept the smaller teen off into their comforting embrace.

He really hated to do this, but there was no other choice. His little one was so far gone right now, trapped in his memories that nothing he said or did would matter. He would have to trust in the others to take care of his little one until he got home. As much as he wanted to keep the boy with him, it wasn't a wise idea. He would just have to hurry, then.

The white haired teen approached the duo. A brief conversation ensued and the former royal realized that Jou and the others were getting antsy waiting out in the van. And that Ryou and Malik felt the same way that his Aibou did about the recent change in their darker halfs' attitudes.

Atemu straightened, cuddling his little one close to his body as he followed the white haired teen out to the van they had rented for this occasion. There he handed the boy over to Jou, only asking that they look after Yugi in his absence, receiving a nod in reply before the doors closed and the van took off down the road.

The children would be in good hands. Serenity had already talked to two of her coworkers at the hospital in Tokyo; one of them had even given permission to use their van. They had agreed that it was best if they dropped the van off with the children inside and she and the others would treat it as an anonymous drop with Dr. Alex supervising their recovery every step of the way. It was best if no one knew where they came from.

Once the van was out of sight Atemu stalked back into the mansion, up to the third floor, rage consuming his every thought. This was the monster that had come so close to taking his little one out of the world! When he reached the pitiful figure he reached out and grabbed it by the neck, shaking it harshly. Shadows built up, surrounding his slender form as he began to squeeze, causing the creature to bat at his arms uselessly.

As he peered into those vacant blue eyes a little closer, the former ruler dismissed his shadows entirely. There was no shred of intelligence left in those wide blue eyes. Whoever had gotten to the monster first had completely broken him. What would his little one say if he demolished this thing the way he wanted to?

Furious, he threw the figure back onto the floor with a grunt of disgust – unsure whether it was aimed at the creature or at himself – where it huddled around itself once again.

The former Pharaoh dropped to his knees, intent on a closer inspection. The figure gazed stupidly back up at him and Atemu groaned. There was no use in trying to punish something that had no thought of its own. If he tried then he was no better than those that had defiled his Aibou. They were walking that fine line as it was. Dismissing the creature, Atemu mercifully ended its existence with a snap of its neck.

The shadows themselves would be better equipped to deal with a situation like this. They would devour the soul – and the soul was what would remember the misdeeds, whereas he could only inflict punishment on their physical form. In that form there was no way he could exact revenge.

Thoroughly pissed off, the former monarch made his way back down the stairs, making a quick search through the mansion before heading towards the room where Bakura and Marik were having their fun. They now had only a few hours in which to be ready for the rest of their _guests_. And he was having some serious second thoughts…

Glass doors slammed open to bounce off the wall, leaving a large crack in one of them as it came to rest in its original position. Atemu glared ice at the now unconscious man who had been strung up in the center of the room, his ruby eyes taking in the sight of the fresh welts and cuts that adorned his form from his face to his feet. Apparently the gruesome twosome had been busy.

"Well, well, look who thought to grace us with his presence…Hey Marik, The Pharaoh's back." Bakura crowed.

Marik stomped over to the tricolor haired teen, huffing indignantly as he stuck a finger in the former ruler's face. "Do you even realize how much of a mess you left us in? We're lucky that I found a curling iron in the front room…it got hot enough to cauterize the wound before he bled out all over the place and our whole plan went up in smoke!"

Atemu shrugged restlessly, his thoughts coming back again and again to the words his little one had spoken when they first arrived, and the ones that Ryou had echoed later. "He would have lived. The practice of castration has been around since before our time…but forget him for a moment…we need to talk…"

Bakura slowly put the crop that he had been using on the sobbing secretary, barely sparing the other two men that were strung up about the room as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what do we need to talk about?"

"About us…about our lighter halves." Atemu raked an unsteady hand through his wild hair. "They are concerned…"

"Ryou's worried? About what?" Bakura interrupted.

"About how this plan is affecting us." Atemu replied.

The two former spirits dropped whatever weapon was in their hand and the three of them walked out of the room and into what looked like a waiting room. There, Atemu dropped to the comfortable couch, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his chin on them. Bakura and Marik dropped into the couch opposite.

"By all means…spill!" Bakura waved at the former ruler when it looked as though the teen was going to remain silent.

With a deep sigh the royal teen proceeded to inform them of the discussion that he had had with his little one earlier, and of the preceding one with Ryou. They couldn't continue this. It was turning them into monsters themselves. Each time they killed, each time they tortured they lost a little more of themselves – becoming a little colder, a little less caring. And it was apparent to those that loved them.

"I knew something was wrong…Ryou never refused my touch before." Bakura commented with a thoughtful look. "But he didn't say anything."

"Malik's been distant as well." Marik added.

"I don't think they are the ones being distant." Atemu replied. "We are doing it ourselves. They are afraid of us."

Marik sighed. "All that planning…damn, I hate to let a good plot go to waste…"

"But _The Pharaoh's_ right. We need to take care of our Hikaris' first. So now what?"

"Now we wait. The rest of the rubbish should be here in a few hours. We'll deal with them all at once." Atemu replied with a faraway look. "We're finished with this."

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The three dark teens watched intently from the front lawn, the wild winds whipping at their hair as windows shattered and walls collapsed amidst the blackened shadows. The house caved in on itself piece by piece with groans and screams of protest. Electricity surged and sparked as wiring was torn free of its moorings, adding to the general chaos while the endless swirling, shadowy vortex sucked up the debris as it loosened from the frame.

It didn't happen all at once, more in stages than anything else. First the attic collapsed on top of the second floor, sparks flying and framing groaning eerily. Then the west side of the house caved in towards the east squeezing the middle of the mansion until it buckled upwards under the pressure.

The front door exploded outward and was immediately consumed by the ever present shadows. The razor wire fence surrounding the property was plucked out of the ground pole by pole with seemingly little effort, to be sucked up into the hungry, swirling shadows.

The east side of the house finally buckled, pulling free of the framing and flying upwards into the endless blackness, leaving a cement foundation as the only evidence of its previous existence.

The three teens nodded solemnly to each other as they made their way back to the car. It was finally finished. No one other than the three somber teens would ever know what took place in that house of pain and fear just before it disappeared off the face of the earth. They would never tell. It was enough for them to say that no one made it out alive.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	18. Chapter 18

Ah, it looks like AoM will be finished before the rest. Oh well, welcome to the final chapter.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi awoke to the sounds of someone breathing softly in his ear, strong arms holding him tightly as the person behind him slept on. He blinked a couple of times as he took in his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was seeing those eyes. He shuddered and the arms that were holding him tightened.

"Are you alright Aibou?" Atemu asked sleepily.

"I'm fine Yami." Yugi replied with a yawn.

It took the smaller teen a couple of minutes to realize where he was, since he wasn't in his own room. They were laying on the fold out couch, wrapped in a warm down comforter. And all around him passed out on the furniture were the rest of his friends.

Marik and Malik had staked out the second fold out couch, Jou and Seto were passed out on the blow up air mattress in the center of the room. Bakura and Ryou were curled up like a couple of cats in one of the larger chairs; Tristan and Serenity were on a pallet by the hallway and Anzu and Duke were occupying the other chair, wrapped up together in a blanket. They must have all decided to stay.

"Is it over?"

Yes little one…it is finished." Atemu replied with a chaste kiss to the teen's forehead. "And I apologize for my behavior. I truly was acting like an ass."

Yugi looked up at his darker half with a sleepy smile. "It's okay Yami. I know you were just looking out for me. Just don't do it again."

With that said the smaller teen gave his darker counterpart a playful punch to the arm. Atemu grinned widely at the action before pulling the boy back into his arms.

"I am suitably chastened…From this moment on I will not seek to bend you to my will."

"Good."

The two snuggled together on the couch for a few moments, before loud noises from the store room caught their attention. Atemu scrambled from the bed, fearing the worst. That the Yukaza had found out they were responsible for the downfall of one of their members, and they were here seeking retribution.

"ATEMU MOTOU! MARIK ISHTAR! BAKURA…ah damn it! Whatever the hell your name is…get down here now!" The words echoed around the room, waking everyone with same effects as a glass of ice water in their faces.

Bakura, Marik and Atemu stared at each other with wide eyes. Mr. Motou had returned! And he didn't sound very happy. Everyone in the room started to move about, blinking at each other as they attempted to gather their thoughts.

"Boys you have two minutes to get your butts down these stairs before I come up after you!"

At that call the three scrambled out of their beds. Not happy? Scratch that. Downright pissed off was more like it. What the hell had him in such a bad mood? Whatever it was he had found out, they didn't want to make it any worse by having to make him come after them. The old man could be a tyrant when he wanted to be.

Yugi glanced fearfully at his darker half. He recognized his grandfather's voice, but he had not heard that tone in a long time. What had his darkness done to earn that? It was then that the small teen realized that he hadn't seen his grandfather in almost two years. But right now he wasn't sure he wanted to. That tone still frightened him.

"Breathe little one. I shall return in a moment." Atemu shushed him, smoothing the hair back off his forehead before joining the other two as they made their way out to the game shop.

What they found when they made it out into the shop was Solomon pacing back and forth as he muttered obscenities, his wild hair standing on end. Lieren was trying her best to calm the old man, but from the looks he was ignoring whatever she had to say.

Atemu swallowed his pride as the other two stood beside him. "You called?"

Solomon stared hard at the three teens standing before him. "You, you and you! What the hell are you thinking?"

"Now Solomon calm down, this isn't good…" The old man glared in Lieren's direction and she trailed off in the face of his show of anger.

"About what sir?" Bakura questioned respectfully. Atemu shot the white haired thief a questioning glance. Since when was the thief respectful?

"About what?" The old man stopped and stared at the three. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! The mysterious disappearances…one well respected doctor going crazy…a man killing himself, but with signs of breaking and entering!" His voice rose with every sentence. "What the hell is wrong with you? I go on vacation and you use the time to wreak havoc and cause chaos! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. The three of you know better than to behave like common criminals! I ought to box your ears, each and every one of you!"

"NO! You won't touch them!" Yugi shot between the three startled spirits, holding his arms out as he stood between them and the old man, his teeth bared in a snarl.

Solomon jumped back a foot when he heard his grandson's voice, his heart beating wildly. His jaw sagged as he laid eyes on the longed for sight of his daughter's only child, as the boy glared at him fiercely.

"Y-Yugi…?"

"Grandpa, you don't know what's been going on! You can't punish them for what they did! You can't!" Tears welled up in amethyst eyes and Atemu rushed to the boy's side, cradling him tenderly to his chest. "Th-they did it…for me!"

"I think we need to sit down and discuss this." The former ruler stated calmly as he picked the little one up and made his way out of the shop.

"Y-Yugi…?" Fat tears welled up in Solomon's eyes, as he stood rooted to the spot. "It's…it's really you? You're really here?"

The small teen struggled from his darkness' grasp and Atemu set him on the floor, only to watch as his little one bolted into his grandpa's waiting arms.

"Grandpa!" Yugi sobbed, crushing the old man in his embrace.

"Oh my god! Yugi!" Solomon returned the embrace with equal vehemence before memorizing the boy's cherished face with his hands. "I never thought…I…oh god, it's a miracle!"

The pair collapsed to the ground and the four others in the room ran to their assistance. But they couldn't seem to pry the two apart. Lieren finally backed the others off as the rest of the group wandered into the game shop, finally deeming the area safe enough. They stood by with tears in their eyes as they watched the emotional reunion.

Many long minutes later the group adjourned to the living room, finding it quite tidy for as many people as had slept there the previous night. Atemu settled onto the couch, Yugi dropping down to sit on his lap and Solomon picking a spot next to him – unable to let go of his grandson's hand for even the shortest time.

Bakura and Ryou curled back up into their chair as the others gathered around to occupy what was left of the furniture.

"How…? Why…?" Was Solomon's only question as he gazed at his youngest family member.

Atemu and the others took turns as they tried to give a full accounting of what had taken place over the past nine months. From the first moment they laid eyes on Yugi to the moment that they entered the doomed mansion. There was much arguing as points of view and opinions differed, and each time the old man put the teens back on track with a well-placed word or look.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, the entire story was out in the open, including the three spirits behavior towards their look alikes for the past three days. Each of them held the look of shame as they glanced at their feet, waiting for judgment to be cast from either the old man or their little ones.

"And they're all gone?" Solomon queried. "You've taken care of all of them?"

"Yes sir. "Marik answered.

The old man sat back with a sigh. "I think the three of you have learned a valuable lesson. I should still box your ears for that…but I think I'll let Yugi, Ryou and Malik decide this matter for themselves. It was them you wronged after all."

The three spirits nodded; their eyes still downcast. It was apparent to all that they had never been reprimanded before, and so didn't know how to take the scolding. Their guilty behavior mystified many of the others.

"Damn…when you guys feel guilty you really feel guilty!" Jou remarked. "Hey Yugi, you could ask for anything right now and Atemu would give it to you just that quick." The blonde snapped his fingers.

Yugi wrapped his arms around his darker half possessively. "Yeah, but I've already forgiven him as long as it doesn't happen again."

Atemu glanced up into those warm amethyst eyes, seeing the look of complete forgiveness. He returned the heartfelt hug with a true smile – the first Solomon had ever seen. "I promise little one."

"Don't get me wrong boys. I approve whole heartedly of you ridding our society of scum like that. But don't lose yourselves in revenge. It only hurts those closest to you." Solomon warned. "I don't want to see you lose what you've worked so hard for. Yugi, I'm so happy right now. I never thought I would see your smiling face again!"

The two embraced again and a cheer went up. The nightmare was finally over. Their little friend was not the same smiling, cheerful boy they would always remember, but in that boy's place stood a young man who was stronger than any of them could ever imagine. And he would be just fine.

"Atemu, I need you to go to the store and pick some munchies and pizza. We're gonna have us a good, old fashioned welcome home party." Solomon gazed over at the former Pharaoh amidst the noise.

"I am forgiven?" Atemu glanced at the old man wide eyed.

"There's nothing to forgive young one. You made a mistake, that's all. And you did so much good, that as long as you remember it, it doesn't matter." The old man replied as he held out the money.

"Thank you. I will remember it well, and I will be a good partner to Yugi." Atemu bowed his head as he took the money.

"I know you will." Solomon patted his head.

Yugi scooted off his darkness' lap and plopped down next to his grandfather where they started a discussion on anything and everything that caught their interest. Soon the others joined in, and that was the scene that Atemu looked back on as he made his way out of the house with a serene smile on his face.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

It wasn't two days later and the former spirit was dropping his heavy burden in the passenger seat of Mr. Motou's old station wagon, eager to get home to his little one. It had taken him all day to find a gift perfect enough for his Aibou.

"I could kill you right here and now…and no one would say a word." The whispered voice came from right beside his ear as the former spirit sat down in the driver's seat of the car, finally glad to be free of the packages that he had sat in the seat next to him.

Dark shadows began to wind their way around the former ruler's slender body as he questioned the man with the gun to his head. "And why would you wish to do that?"

"My mother's very distraught right now. You killed her sister's favorite son. I've been watching you for the past two days. I know you did it. Truly I couldn't care less; the man was quite a cocksucker. But my mother would disagree." The hammer cocked back with an audible click.

"I would suggest you look again before you think that you have the upper hand." Atemu replied calmly.

There was a stunned shriek as the masked man realized that he was no longer holding a gun, but rather a poisonous asp and he dropped the snake to the floor of the car with a squawk of fright. A quick glance around the interior of the car told him that he was no longer inside of a car, but standing on what seemed to be an endless blackness. And for a moment he wondered how it was he hadn't fallen yet.

"You are the leader of the Yukaza?" Atemu questioned from directly in front of the man.

The masked man nodded hesitantly, still wondering how he had lost the upper hand, and where in the hell he was. Beads of sweat broke out on his covered brow and his hands shook as he gazed back at the unaffected teen.

"Honestly I hate to kill someone without provocation, so it seems we need to come to an accord."

The man licked his lips. "And what agreement would that be?"

"The one where you leave my family and friends alone. Where they are free of your retribution. And I, in turn, will leave you and your organization alone." The former spirit replied with a smirk. "And the next time you set up a house of ill repute, you do it with those willing to sell their bodies. Not young children who have no say in the matter. It is the only allowance I am willing to make."

"Little kids?" The man exclaimed before he could stop himself.

"Yes. Children. Do we have an accord?"

The man thought about it for a minute. It wasn't as if he was going to disagree right now. This kid could have killed him at any time. But he hadn't yet, and was quite content to sit back and let him decide how this confrontation was going to end. It just stunned him to realize what his creepy cousin had been into all this time. Sure he had his own whores and often visited houses like that just for a little bit of fun. But even he had his principles. And this shocked him even more than he let on.

"Okay…I agree to leave you and your friends alone. And you agree to leave us alone as well, am I correct?" The man held his hand out.

Atemu shook the offered hand with a nod. "That is correct."

All of a sudden the suffocating darkness lifted and the man found himself once again in the back seat of the car, his gun lying harmlessly on the floor. Atemu raised an elegant brow as he caught the stunned look in man's eyes.

As soon as he gathered his thoughts, the man said. "Right…so…" And he fled the backseat of the car as fast as his legs could carry him.

Atemu chuckled quietly to himself. His wannabe murderer was rather brave for his first time facing the shadows. Most of his victims pissed themselves when confronted with the gathering darkness. That would be the last time he heard from that group.

The former spirit started the car and drove out of the parking lot. He needed to get home to his Aibou. He had a surprise waiting in the passenger seat that his little one would just adore.

The end…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

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